article thumbnail

Can You Trust Any vc's Under 40?

Steve Blank

Five Quarters of Profitability During the 1980’s and through the mid 1990’s startups going public had to do something that most companies today never heard of – they had to show a track record of increasing revenue and consistent profitability. The world of building profitable startups as the primary goal of Venture Capital would end in 1995.

article thumbnail

Knowing When It’s Time To Sell Your Startup

YoungUpstarts

For years, the most desirable exit strategy for startup companies was to go public through an initial public offering. Today, many startups are succumbing to the temptation to sell their companies early. A review of recent case studies from similar startups may make this decision a little easier. Highly profitable.

IPO 162
article thumbnail

Keep It Under Your Hat: Valuation Caps and the $650 Million Sale of MySpace for $125 Million

Gust

In brief, a cap acts to place a limit on the conversion price of a convertible note such that investors are guaranteed a minimum number of shares for their bridge loans if the startup does a priced equity round at a high pre-money valuation – “high” meaning above the cap, which is often a heavily negotiated term. (The