Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

With one of the many new tools , and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Favor profitability over revenue and user growth. Use your equity for key executives and business partners.

Equity 349

Equity Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity 349

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

So you’re interested in raising capital from a Revenue-Based Investor VC. A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors (“RBI”) are emerging. This structure offers some of the benefits of traditional equity VC, without some of the negatives of equity VC. Rational burn profile, up to 50% of revenue at close, scaling down.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

Technical Review 436

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

Sweat Equity 207

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 207

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Deferred payments start with stretching the payables period but, more importantly, include giving employee equity in lieu of a higher salaries and negotiating vendor deferred payments out of future revenues. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year.

Burn Rate 223

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Startup Salary 223

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

More and more startups are pursuing Revenue-Based VCs , but “RBI” doesn’t fit everyone. From traditional equity VC, Flexible VC borrows the option to pursue and reap the rewards of an outsized exit. Flexible VC 101: Equity Meets Revenue Share. Equity Ownership. Yes, typically preferred equity. Example VC.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 28, 2011

While Jane was building SayAhh’s revenue projections , Dick focused his attention on building the expense side of the projections. It is simple in that it forecasts how much cash will be coming in the door (revenues + equity financing + debt financing) and then subtracts from that amount how much cash is expected to be going out the door.

Revenue 127

Revenue Balance Sheet Forecast Software Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Deferred payments start with stretching the payables period but, more importantly, include giving employee equity in lieu of a higher salaries and negotiating vendor deferred payments out of future revenues. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year.

Burn Rate 262

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Entrepreneur Salary 262

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

The cost of giving up more equity early is often more than offset by the increased flexibility to recover from mistakes. Pay people with equity or future revenue. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy. Do it yourself and barter for services.

Burn Rate 232

Burn Rate Startup Salary Development Team Review 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2011

The cost of giving up more equity early is often more than offset by the increased flexibility to recover from mistakes. Pay people with equity or future revenue. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy. Do it yourself and barter for services.

Burn Rate 231

Burn Rate Startup Salary Equity 231

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Deferred payments start with stretching the payables period but, more importantly, include giving employee equity in lieu of a higher salaries and negotiating vendor deferred payments out of future revenues. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year.

Burn Rate 120

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Startup Salary 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2023

Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model. McGinnis, a well-known venture capitalist and private equity investor.

Private Equity 255

Private Equity Salary Cofounder Equity 255

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.

Sweat Equity 296

Sweat Equity Startup Salary Viral 296

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2020

With one of the many new tools , and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Favor profitability over revenue and user growth. Use your equity for key executives and business partners.

Hockey Stick 423

Hockey Stick Bootstrapping Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 423

Steve Blank

MAY 19, 2015

I had lunch last week with Tom, the CEO of a startup that was quickly becoming a large company – last year’s revenue was $40M, this year likely to be $80M maybe even $100 million in ad revenue. to drive traffic to their site, which they then turned into ad revenue. Upgrade their salaries and equity ASAP.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Salary Early Stage Software Review 120

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 24, 2014

When I was coming out of college, working in finance, I used to think a lot about my salary. I liked maxing out on raises and I liked the feeling I got getting to a six figure salary. It was, in my mind, what the salary meant. Show your employees how their salary effects the finances of a company.

Salary 130

Salary Venture Capital Equity Finance 130

www.avc.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Employee Equity: How Much? The most common comment in this long and complicated MBA Mondays series on Employee Equity is the question of how much equity should you grant when you make a hire. And the amount of equity you need to grant to accomplish these hires is also an art and most certainly not a science.

Equity 64

Equity Employee CTO Hire Fractional CTO 64

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

Angel investors will perk up if you have a prototype or a few real customers, while venture capitalists will likely choose to wait until you have achieved several million in revenue or customer count. Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction.

Preferred Stock 304

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 304

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.

Sweat Equity 435

Sweat Equity Salary Viral Leadership 435

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Research shows that companies with greater gender and racial diversity drive nearly 15x more sales revenue than companies with homogenous teams, proving that it literally pays to build an inclusive team. A good team doesn’t always mean a full-time role or a full-time salary. Diversify your talent search to diversify your team.

Hiring 100

Hiring Technical Review Silicon Valley Due Diligence 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2010

The cost of giving up more equity early is often more than offset by the increased flexibility to recover from mistakes. Pay people with equity or future revenue. Another one to avoid cash burn for software development is a contract for percent of future revenue. Great strategy. Do it yourself and barter for services.

Burn Rate 120

Burn Rate Startup Salary Equity 120

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model. McGinnis, a well-known venture capitalist and private equity investor.

Entrepreneur 321

Entrepreneur Private Equity Startup Salary 321

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2013

Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Most startup founders already do this, rather than take a salary, to improve their offering. startup control equity bootstrapping Rich Christiansen business'

Equity 241

Equity Bootstrapping Startup Merger 241

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. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

Burn Rate 120

Burn Rate Technical Review Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 120

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

FEBRUARY 21, 2011

It’s among the most-asked questions on startup forums, and an issue we’re dealing with right now at WPEngine as we bring on new employees: How do you decide how much equity (shares) to give a new employee or partner? The question is further complicated when the new hire is getting a salary. What about $Y/mo?&#

Equity 276

Equity Salary Hiring Institutional Investors 276

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

Angel investors will perk up if you have a prototype or a few real customers, while venture capitalists will likely choose to wait until you have achieved several million in revenue or customer count. Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction.

Startup 337

Startup Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity 337

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 1, 2023

As I've taken the time to invest in companies and programs that can manage various facets of my business on my behalf, I've been able to increase my revenue and provide better financial insulation for my firm to help it withstand the negative effects of a recession. This will keep them sustainable should revenues take a dive.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review Revenue 92

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

Here are seven ways that advisors can immediately help your small business achieve the next level of success: Assist With Strategies & Connections to Have Record Revenue & Profit in 2016. It can be a per meeting fee, a small equity piece, or any other arrangement, and remember, you can cancel this at any time.

CTO Hire 100

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Small Business Hiring 100

Up and Running

AUGUST 19, 2014

You might have held off paying yourself while launching your startup, but is it time to give yourself a salary? Here are seven things to consider in order to determine if now is the right time to pay yourself a salary. Once you generate the financial support of investors, it may be time to reward yourself with a salary.

Salary 119

Salary Sweat Equity Silicon Valley Sales Cycle 119

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. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Burn Rate Sweat Equity 120

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

Equity for the future? If you are the person staying how resentful will you become working your arse off for equity that your co-founder who leaves will get value from. He felt the CEO was willing to “sell his soul” for revenue and wanted things to be more pure.

Founder 340

Founder Sacramento Cofounder Technical Review 340

David Teten

MAY 7, 2019

Would you like to have a salary from day one that you work full-time on your startup? As a VC, I’m interested in working with companies with large-scale revenue potential, and that’s the company we envision. We agree on an equity split, vesting, and initial compensation structure. And how do you split the equity?

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

Steve Blank

MARCH 17, 2020

And how much are variable expenses (salaries, consultants, commission, travel, AWS/Azure charges, supplies, etc.?). Next, take a look at your actual revenue each month – not forecast, but real revenue coming in each month. Subtract your monthly gross burn rate from your monthly revenue to get your net burn rate.

Burn Rate 436

Burn Rate Startup Valuation Sales Cycle 436

David Teten

JULY 10, 2019

pre-launch, BIG equity, big peeps involved–ANY TIPS?? Would you like to have a salary from day one that you work full-time on your startup? As a VC, I’m interested in working with companies with large-scale revenue potential, and that’s the company we envision. And how do you split the equity? A nonprofit?

America 60

America Technical Review Advisory Board Due Diligence 60

Austin Startup

MAY 8, 2018

Background reading: Founder Compensation: Cash, Equity, Liquidity Fatal Errors in Early Startup Hiring Early Hires: Options or Stock Given how deeply involved we are with early-stage startups hiring their first key employees, I figured it would be helpful to outline a few key principles to help entrepreneurs navigate the topic.

Employee 48

Employee Seed Stage Startup Equity 48

fi.co

DECEMBER 4, 2012

In a post on his blog , Dave Parker, Co-Founder and CEO of Bundled.com and Director of the Seattle Founder Institute , explains why spiltting equity 50/50 amongst co-founders is almost never the right answer, because each co-founder will have their own expectations, commitment, and goals regarding the startup. Do you have the same work ethic?

Cofounder 43

Cofounder Founder Silicon Valley San Diego 43