David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Data companies focused on early-stage startups include Aingel , fundsUP , Preseries , PredictLeads , and Sploda. The Pocket Negotiator is very early-stage attempt to aid in the negotiating process itself. 645 Ventures released a cap table simulator to help level the playing field.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 22, 2014

I''ve funded or committed to a few dozen seed companies in the last few years and worked for First Round Capital and Union Square Ventures--two of the best early stage firms on the planet. Others talked as if they were the ones doing the deals--even though they''re just the ones making the cap tables in Excel.

Venture Capital 140

Venture Capital Cap Table Startup Early Stage 140

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

I know he’s smart but you wouldn’t hire a Javascript developer to do your database design – would you? They want to lock in future clients at an early stage. So I tell you this because if you build a strong relationship with an early-stage VC they can be a great source to help you with your funding.

Southern California 318

Southern California Silicon Valley IP Stock Options 318

Austin Startup

AUGUST 20, 2017

Early stage startups have to survive one day at a time and are often presented with limited choices of the moment that enable them to continue. Hiring is a chapter unto itself, but it deserves to lead off any discussion of context. Compensation decisions obviously affect hiring and retention.

Technical Review 48

Technical Review Software Review Cap Table Securities and Exchange Commission 48

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

In venture capital in particular, early-stage companies are often operating in frontier industries, where the rules are unpredictable and conventional analytic frameworks may be misleading. The Pocket Negotiator is very early-stage attempt to aid in the negotiating process itself. . Accompany focuses on this use case.

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

View from Seed

AUGUST 6, 2015

Of late, I’ve encountered numerous potential startup candidates and newly hired employees who have no idea what their equity means. It falls on the hiring company to thoroughly explain equity options to their new employees. It falls on the hiring company to thoroughly explain equity options to their new employees.

Equity 120

Equity Employee Cap Table Stock Options 120

techcrunch.com

APRIL 26, 2013

In December, AngelList , a service that matches early-stage startups with investors, debuted the ability to allow accredited investors to actually invest in startups on the platform with as little as $1,000. That way, startups only have one entity in the cap table, which simplifies documentation and structure.

SEC 61

SEC Accredited Investor San Diego New York City 61

View from Seed

AUGUST 6, 2015

Of late, I’ve encountered numerous potential startup candidates and newly hired employees who have no idea what their equity means. It falls on the hiring company to thoroughly explain equity options to their new employees. It falls on the hiring company to thoroughly explain equity options to their new employees.

Equity 120

Equity Employee Cap Table Stock Options 120

Haystack

AUGUST 18, 2019

Back in 2017, Fred Wilson noted the strategic importance of the seed stage , writing: Seed is really hard. You lose influence as larger investors come into the cap table and start throwing their weight around. You lose way more than you win. You wait the longest for liquidity. It is where most people start out.

Seed Stage 108

Seed Stage Cap Table Early Stage Malaysia 108

venturehacks.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

One thing I’d recommend about the dating period is if you’re looking for a co-founder for an existing concept of an early stage product, present their participation as a “trial&# before extending an offer. Geeks can always be hired. How to build your core team for early-stage startup? Learn more.

Cofounder 101

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Technical Review 101

View from Seed

MAY 29, 2019

But taken to the extreme, you would have rounds with only one lead and almost no one else on the cap table. At the early stages of building a company, it is tremendously helpful to tap into a broad support network outside of your immediate circle.

Syndicate 267

Syndicate Syndication Cofounder Cap Table 267

OnlyOnce

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

worked as advisors and mentors to numerous early stage founders and startups. The middle” consists of venture-backed companies that are neither early stage nor mature. Brad’s visceral response in this conversation was a very clear, “you should hire Jenny.” What about the middle? Enter Jenny Lawton.

Silicon Valley 62

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Cap Table Early Stage 62

Genuine VC

MAY 20, 2013

VCs who swear publicly that they’ll never make an investment with less than 20% ownership show up on cap tables in the teens… the 20% pronouncements are just posturing for negotiation. Entrepreneurs should remember that while these targets are real, they’re just that – targets.

Venture Capital 244

Venture Capital Cap Table Portfolio Early Stage 244

David Teten

OCTOBER 1, 2015

I recently joined CoVenture , an early-stage venture capital firm that develops products and invests cash in exchange for equity. My comments here relate mostly to new or early-stage startups, as I’ve spent most of my career investing in those companies and it’s what we do at CoVenture.

Software Developers 60

Software Developers Software Development Software Review Technical Cofounder 60

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 26, 2022

I tried to get hired at Better Place and failed. When I learned they were hiring a community manager, I threw everything I had at the interview process. For some early stage startups, investing in comms won’t meaningfully move the needle; for others, it can be transformative. Enter Box.

IPO 91

IPO Cofounder Early Stage Portfolio 91

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 3, 2020

Depending on the minimum investment size, if you think about what hiring an actual analyst, or someone more senior, might cost you to look at deals you’re serious about, an investment in a fund could may for itself in access. Less than that and you need something else to bring to the table. b) Reputation for adding value.

Portfolio 134

Portfolio Syndicate Syndication Deal Flow 134

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

The mode purpose for funding is (in order of frequency) Sales, Marketing, Market Expansion, Product Development, and Hiring Employees. GSD Capital. “ GSD Capital partners with early-stage SaaS founders to fund growth initiatives. Limited amount of existing debt and a clean cap table”. See Indie VC’s Version 3.0.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

keen.io

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

These were the best resources I found: Equity for Early Employees in Early Stage Startups. Startup Equity for Early Employees. On the other hand, this was new territory for the founders as well; they had zero experience making offers to new startup hires. Paul Graham’s Equity Equation.

Salary 50

Salary Equity Startup San Francisco 50

genylabs.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Before you agree to take equity in lieu of cash, you need to understand that any individual early stage start-up company equity is most likely going to be worthless. Have not met anyone I wanted to hire who was willing to work for equity. Should You Hire People With Graduate Degrees for Your Startup? what your rights are.

Equity 40

Equity Technical Review San Jose Stock 40

Spencer Fry

APRIL 17, 2017

Without raising money, 1 of 2 situations would have fallen upon us: I would have had to dig deeper into my own pockets to continue to pay the contractor as well as hire others. But as an early stage startup, accountability is so important. Hello, debt. Nobody can tell you what to do.

Bootstrapping 63

Bootstrapping Cap Table Liquidation Preference Cofounder 63

www.payne.org

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

The re-heating of the venture funded tech market has pushed a heat up of the hiring market, and Im getting more calls from friends asking for help understanding startup stock (equity) offers. The total preference is less of an issue in early stage companies (e.g. 2 Stock Classes: Common and Preferred. 3 Dilution. 4 Vesting.

Equity 56

Equity Employee Vesting Preferred Stock 56

venturehacks.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

In practice, you raise money or hire an employee because you need to, not because you want to. Say the equity equation tells you to pay a prospective hire above market. You should still pay the hire a market rate and save the company some equity. Say the equity equation tells you to pay a prospective hire below market.

Equity 40

Equity Cap Table Valuation RSS 40

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

4 ] Seed Funding Firms Seed firms are like angels in that they invest relatively smallamounts at early stages, but like VCs in that theyre companiesthat do it as a business, rather than individuals making occasionalinvestments on the side. Angels and even VC firms occasionally do this, but they alsoinvest at later stages.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Startup Software Review Angel Investor 76

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 20, 2016

Also, they have a strong belief that any sign of weakness (such as a down round) will have a catastrophic impact on their culture, hiring process, and ability to retain employees. You can no longer simply look at the cap table and estimate your return. Their own ego is also a factor – will a down round signal weakness?

IPO 40

IPO Term Sheet Silicon Valley Valuation 40