Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

It’s disconcerting for most to realize that these shares are initially worth nothing, and the challenge is to get that value up as quickly as possible, without losing it just as quickly to investors, lazy partners, and taxation. This is the purpose of a vesting schedule, which issues allocated stock over time.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2014

The first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity is that person worth? The next default of waiting until later is equally bad, since partners who bow out early will still expect an equal share of that first billion you make later. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want.

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Up and Running

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Of course, not every equity compensation story is a David Choe Story. If you’re thinking about extending equity to an employee or a vendor (as in the example above), you should know that the topic is multi-faceted. In this article, I’m going to examine: What equity compensation is. Different types of equity compensation.

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The Next Web

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

George Deeb is the Managing Partner at Chicago-based Red Rocket Ventures , a startup consulting and financial advisory firm based in Chicago. There are a lot of variables to go into calculating a fair equity split a startup team. How do you manage your equity split in your company? Is this person taking a salary or not?

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2021

It’s disconcerting for most to realize that these shares are initially worth nothing, and the challenge is to get that value up as quickly as possible, without losing it just as quickly to investors, lazy partners, and taxation. This is the purpose of a vesting schedule, which issues allocated stock over time.

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www.startuplessonslearned.com

MAY 4, 2012

Founders Dilemmas: Equity Splits. The following is an exclusive excerpt which sets up a common pitfall regarding equity splits. In Noam’s dataset, 73% of founding teams split equity within a month of founding, a striking number given the big uncertainties early in the life of any startup. Lessons Learned. by Eric Ries.

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www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Should You Share Equity with Consultants? To grow his cash-strapped start-up, Parker ended up sharing equity -- not only with employees, but also with consultants and vendors. Parker found that equity as compensation helped build loyalty to his company -- even among consultants. But sharing equity can have pitfalls, too.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Old co-workers or new friends with complementary skills usually make the best partners. You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. The founder’s title and role dilemma.

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The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

The most poignant of these challenges was the quest for capital partners, which was not just about securing capital but about finding collaborators who were willing to believe in the vision and commit to the long-term journey. These early trials by fire instilled in me a deep empathy for the entrepreneurial struggle.

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www.mattbartus.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Equity for Consultants – Keep it Simple! posted Feb 3 in Equity , People issues. I can’t tell you how often a client calls me up and says something like this: “Matt, we have this great new consultant who is going to make introductions to us to [pick type of business partner]. Client references.

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David Teten

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

It’s hard enough to get a job at a venture capital or private equity firm; it’s even more complex to join as a Partner. Also see Preqin’s Key Due Diligence Considerations for Private Equity Investors. . VC and private equity are very illiquid on both the investing and the personnel side. So assessing fit is critical.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Calculate employee stock option values and vesting times, as well as salary. When did this effort really start, including pivots? Look for examples of similar companies and revenue multiples achieved from acquirers.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2015

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Calculate employee stock option values and vesting times, as well as salary. When did this effort really start, including pivots? Look for examples of similar companies and revenue multiples achieved from acquirers.

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Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 120

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.

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Scott Edward Walker

JUNE 30, 2019

This week, we present Michael Seibel , CEO and a partner at Y Combinator. . In this brief video from a few weeks ago, Michael shares some solid advice with respect to how much equity to give your co-founder(s). The post How Much Equity Should You Give Your Cofounder? Cheers, Scott. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NhEBVPlJs4.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2018

Now is the time to talk to a qualified attorney, and get some discipline in place for the following strategies: Manage founder’s shares like gold with partners. Even though initial stock has no market value today, it is extremely valuable in dividing equity ownership between co-founders, investors, and early partners.

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Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 24, 2012

." - Eric The following is an exclusive excerpt which sets up a common pitfall regarding equity splits. In Noam’s dataset, 73% of founding teams split equity within a month of founding, a striking number given the big uncertainties early in the life of any startup. We shook across the table,50–50,” Robin recalls, “and I thought ‘great.’”

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Berkonomics

JANUARY 25, 2024

Board members or lead investors as coaches If you take smart money from a good angel or venture organization, the lead investor usually becomes your board member and has a vested interest in your success. And some will willingly work for stock options, an amount to be negotiated based upon time spent and stage of corporate development.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2019

Old co-workers or new friends with complementary skills usually make the best partners. You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. The founder’s title and role dilemma.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

But as with many people who have a vested interest in fast rounds being assembled, they don’t quite get why it is so important that VCs actually take their time. Call any CEO that has me as a lead and they’ll tell you that I’ve been on midnight phone calls the night before big meetings acting as a sparring partner.

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NZ Entrepreneur

MAY 27, 2019

If you’re scared about giving up on control or equity, then read on. So if you’re a technical founder you should generally be partnering with a non-technical founder. If you are a solo founder, you may be able to do it all on your own initially but you’re making it very difficult for yourself.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2011

You often have very limited perspective on whether this person will continue to be a great partner 2 years down the line, 4 years down the line, 8 years down the line. You’re only going to find out whether they’re TRULY a great partner after you’ve put in years of money, blood, sweat & tears. Vested over 4 years.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2015

It’s disconcerting for most to realize that these shares are initially worth nothing, and the challenge is to get that value up as quickly as possible, without losing it just as quickly to investors, lazy partners and taxation. This is the purpose of a vesting schedule, which issues allocated stock over time.

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Stock Vesting Common Stock Founder Vesting 120

Scalable Startup

OCTOBER 9, 2014

How much equity should I ask for? > You need to be positioned as an equal partner, regardless of equity or title. > > What are the terms of the equity, same class of shares as them? Vesting? > Your equity depends on all of these? > Are you quitting a job? Keeping it? startup CEO'

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Cofounder Technical Cofounder Equity Vesting 20

blog.aparttimecto.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Flexibility - You won’t need to commit to something, either cash, equity or involving other people, upfront. Un-knowledgeable - Since it’s just you and your partners, you might not be making the best choices. Cons: Money - Unless you have cash to pay, the pool of developers willing to work for equity is small.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Old co-workers or new friends with complementary skills usually make the best partners. You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. The Founder’s title and role dilemma.

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The Next Web

AUGUST 26, 2013

Both ways are great, I’ve tried both, but personally I wouldn’t try to start something again without partners. Stefan Tirtey, Partner at Doughty Hanson Ventures , created this document with Berlin early stage investors. I’ve seen a few businesses where the first investors took huge pieces of equity for very little money.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Getting the first meeting with a VC isn’t easy because each partner at a VC firm gets so many requests for meetings that he/she couldn’t possibly take them all so they tend to prioritize people that were introduced from high-quality sources. Some people find this elitist?—?I They aren’t doing this viciously?—?they

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2017

Old co-workers or new friends with complementary skills usually make the best partners. You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. The founder’s title and role dilemma.

Hockey Stick 144

Hockey Stick Cofounder Entrepreneur Liquidity Event 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2013

Old co-workers or new friends with complementary skills usually make the best partners. You have very little money, and you don’t want to give away your equity. Giving equity is realistic, but base it on contribution and role, with vesting after time and milestones. The Founder’s title and role dilemma.

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Berkonomics

DECEMBER 7, 2017

If you take smart money from a good angel or venture organization, the lead investor usually becomes your board member and has a vested interest in your success. The one warning: avoid those looking to become partners, asking for larger portions of equity than, say, 5% when they contribute no cash to the enterprise.

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www.thedailymuse.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

You don’t want a senior partner preparing documents for an incorporation, nor do you want a third-year lawyer negotiating with a seasoned venture capitalist for you. A junior lawyer at a small firm in a smaller city may charge $150 an hour, while senior partners in big firms in major cities have been known to charge over $1,000 an hour.

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Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2010

I’ve heard the following so many times that it still makes me scratch my head, “if those guys are going to get rich off of our backs then we’re going to look like fools if we don’t have equity.&#. I’ve already made clear that I think raising equity from “strategic money&# is an oxymoron.

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www.seriesseed.com

DECEMBER 9, 2012

We went with equity because ivestors would prefer to get equity for the following reasons: 1. One of the reasons notes have become so popular is that the equity documents were too expensive. There are some Vesting terms for founders in the term sheet but I can't find them in the others documents too. Great effort!

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Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2009

To be clear – it is not about being stingy with or hoarding equity – it is about having a prenuptial agreement. I believe that it very important to spread the equity. I believe that you should have a “partner&# or 2 in the company. I believe you should treat them as partners. To the contrary.

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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. . But in business, you want a lot of partners. In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. This is harder than it sounds.

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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.

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