Agile VC

DECEMBER 4, 2014

As a result, one of the trickier things co-founders tackle is determining the equity split amongst the founding group of individuals. Across both the startups I’ve personally been involved in (PayPal and LinkedIn) and the startups in which I’ve been an investor, I’ve seen a broad range of co-founder equity splits.

Cofounder 173

Cofounder Equity Founder Sweat Equity 173

Pascal's View

JULY 9, 2017

Andrew Krowne and I recently co-wrote an article in Tech Crunch , Why SAFE Notes Are Not Safe for Entrepreneurs. At its core, this issue points to the lack of understanding about the importance of post-money valuation by both entrepreneurs and investors. Many entrepreneurs lose track of what they have been cooking up in the cap table.

Post-Money Valuation 49

Post-Money Valuation Valuation Cap Table Covenant 49

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2010

There is a telltale sign of an inexperienced startup entrepreneur. I can save tons of development time and I think I can buy it for all equity. I’m doing due diligence on a company of another entrepreneur in LA whose company was apparently doing very well. They get premature merge elation. I understand this.

Merger 276

Merger Technical Review Early Stage Dilution 276

The Next Web

OCTOBER 21, 2013

As the European startup ecosystem matures, you would expect young entrepreneurs to enjoy ever-increasing access to useful advice from mentors, business leaders, experienced entrepreneurs, legal advisors and investors. Neil Rimer is a Partner and co-founder of Index Ventures.

Cap Table 128

Cap Table Option Pool Angel Investor Entrepreneur 128

www.instigatorblog.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Changing Equity Structures for Early Startup Employees Tweet Recently someone asked me for advice on how much equity they should give to their early employees. 1% but they’re not going to be overwhelmed by it, or insanely incentivized by that equity alone. I do believe that early employees should trade salary for equity.

Equity 41

Equity Employee Startup Vesting 41

Business Plan Blog

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Raising Funding From Family and Friends: Division of Equity. When it comes to the division of equity in startup, there is a similar process every entrepreneur must follow beginning with raising the first round of startup funding and, if you’re lucky, finishing at the point of IPO. How much equity do you offer? It depends.

Equity 61

Equity Option Pool Cofounder Vesting 61

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

” Today I want to talk about how a VC thinks about equity pricing on your round and particularly if you’re coming off of a convertible note. How much is in the option pool? If you have 8 senior managers in place and I don’t think you’ll need as many people I might accept an option pool of 8% unallocated.

Pre-Money Valuation 150

Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Post-Money Valuation Dilution 150

Agile VC

APRIL 17, 2011

Obviously most of these employees are working hard primarily for equity upside compensation, but Kayak’s personnel costs are roughly $200K/head so the company is highly productive on a per employee basis. Im a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned East Coast VC. as of 12/31/09). But these should be directionally correct.

Pre-Money Valuation 113

Pre-Money Valuation Liquidation Preference Dividend Common Stock 113

venturehacks.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

The Equity Equation. As this nuclear winter of venture hacks continues, I thought you might enjoy our thoughts on Paul Graham’s The Equity Equation. ” Read the rest of The Equity Equation first; it is great. You have to pay market rates regardless of the equity equation. Venture Hacks Good advice for startups.

Equity 40

Equity Cap Table Valuation RSS 40

The Next Web

JUNE 15, 2012

From Silicon Valley to Peoria, Illinois, cash-strapped startups look for inventive way to finance their business – often handing out equity to employees, consultants, vendors, and other service providers. Pitfalls in sharing equity. While equity can be a great tool for compensating early on, the drawbacks are significant.

Equity 116

Equity Stock Options Vesting Stock 116

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Private equity and venture capital investors are copying our sisters in the hedge fund world: we’re trying to automate more of our job. . In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. (To see the video above, please click the image, and then click on the Play button.). 2) Market .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

venturehacks.com

OCTOBER 21, 2010

SUPPORTED BY Products Archives @venturehacks Books AngelList About RSS The Option Pool Shuffle by Nivi on April 10th, 2007 “Follow the money card!&# – The Inside Man, Three-Card Shuffle Summary: Don’t let your investors determine the size of the option pool for you. Don’t lose this game. share to $1.00/share:

Option Pool 68

Option Pool Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Warrant 68

The Next Web

OCTOBER 7, 2013

Quite frankly, waiting provides more assurance around employment risk without the commensurate sacrifice in equity comp. Startup employees are granted common shares out of something called an option pool. Entrepreneur Insider Analysis and Opinion How-To''s' Why not wait until the opportunity to be engineer #10, #20, #100?

Engineer 129

Engineer Dilution Option Pool Vesting 129

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Please see later version of this post on May 16, 2010 Entrepreneurs are often not experts in the area of term-sheet negotiations and all of the surrounding issues.   Investors sometimes “present” the terms they’d like and expect the entrepreneurs to react. Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

The Equity Kicker

OCTOBER 8, 2014

We have taken their feedback and tweaked the termsheet as appropriate with the result that on all terms bar valuation, option pool and details of founder vesting our termsheet is now, in effect, very close to fully negotiated before we send it to companies. Forward Partners Venture Capital'

Founder Vesting 92

Founder Vesting Vesting Option Pool Institutional Investors 92

Hunter Walker

MAY 7, 2014

“Growing the team” is almost always one of the ways entrepreneurs utilize new investment dollars. I recommend to founders that if there’s a unicorn you need who isn’t on founding team, (a) start identifying those people in advance of fundraising and (b) prepare to compensate them generously via equity. Sounds great.

Hiring 108

Hiring Option Pool Early Stage Term Sheet 108

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 10, 2015

Investors and entrepreneurs alike want to present the progress in the best light by showing the biggest multiple they can and they often default to comparing the post-money valuation of the new round with the post-money valuation of the last round. Venice Project'

Valuation 60

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Post-Money Valuation Option Pool 60

thinkspace.com

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

How to Divide Equity to Startup Founders, Advisors, and Employees. The part that I’d like to zero in on is when you’ve got a high growth company what are some of the best practices out there to distribute equity to the founders, advisors, and employees? Equity for Founders. Equity for Employees. Bookkeeper.

Equity 62

Equity Employee Founder CTO Hire 62

The Equity Kicker

OCTOBER 8, 2014

We have taken their feedback and tweaked the termsheet as appropriate with the result that on all terms bar valuation, option pool and details of founder vesting our termsheet is now, in effect, very close to fully negotiated before we send it to companies. Forward Partners Venture Capital'

Founder Vesting 68

Founder Vesting Vesting Option Pool Institutional Investors 68

techcrunch.com

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

You could make the same argument about acquisitions and option pools. The remaining $36 million is divided according to equity ownership. Now consider what would happen if the same company raises another $10 million, expands the employee option pool to hire more executives and to support 300 people.

Liquidation Preference 63

Liquidation Preference Founder Option Pool Acquisition 63

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

I think the title of this post is a TV show, but fitting as there has been much debate in the venture community as to the whether angel investors are good or bad for entrepreneurs and VCs. One group charges entrepreneurs "an administrative fee" to present to the group. Touched by an Angel.

Pre-Money Valuation 28

Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Angel Groups Valuation 28

Rob Go

AUGUST 29, 2016

Founders also had to do a little math on the new option pool to really understand what their ownership would be post investment, since it was typically taken out of the company pre-money. Most term sheets talked about the valuation in these terms, and you added the dollars invested to get a post-money valuation.

Post-Money Valuation 52

Post-Money Valuation Valuation Cap Table Term Sheet 52

www.mattbartus.com

DECEMBER 9, 2012

You have a 20% option pool, so you know this will take your ownership down from 80% to 60%, and the VC will get 25%. Option Pool. Option Pool. In Equity , Investors , Negotiating , Term Sheets Equity , Negotiating , Valuation , VCs. Equity for Consultants - Keep. Post-Money. Post-Money.

Warrant 40

Warrant Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet 40

venturehacks.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Breakups are hard If you’re going to fall out with your co-founder, do it early, recover the equity into the option pool to keep the company going, and recruit someone else great to fill the missing slot. I know a lot of people who want to be an entrepreneur but many do not have what I call the “survival gene&#.

Cofounder 101

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Technical Review 101

Gust

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

In general, and in a more-or-less-ideal world, companies should be prepared to give up roughly 20%-40% of equity for each round of early financing, where the size of each round is enough for the company to increase its valuation significantly. After Seed: 80%. After Series A: 64%.

Option Pool 160

Option Pool Equity Valuation Startup 160

venturehacks.com

MARCH 21, 2008

Normal advisors are also assembled by naive entrepreneurs who think the mere presence of an advisory board will create social proof and help them raise money. Finally, there is a beauty to paying in equity rather than an equivalent amount of cash. If you pay in equity, you pay once and keep getting served ad infinitum.

Advisory Board 44

Advisory Board Cap Table Vesting Equity 44

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 15, 2013

The 10 Best Conference Call Services for Entrepreneurs – crowdspring.co/1eIUvyQ. 10 things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Coach – crowdspring.co/1bkxKuq. The 10 Best Conference Call Services for Entrepreneurs – crowdspring.co/1eIUvyQ. 10 things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Coach – crowdspring.co/1bkxKuq.

Social Media 93

Social Media Small Business Design Media 93

The Next Web

AUGUST 14, 2013

You’ll hear terminology getting bandied about left and right about things like convertible notes, capped vs. uncapped, stock option pools, board observer rights, maturity dates, priced equity. Entrepreneur How-To''s' This is certainly most confusing part about raising money – at least it was for me. Wrapping It Up.

Founder 142

Founder Incubator Cofounder Accredited Investor 142