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.

Cofounder 261

Cofounder Stock Founder Technical Cofounder 261

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

One of the first tough decisions that startup founders have to make is how to allocate or split the equity among co-founders. Another common “failure to start” situation I see is one where the “idea person” insists that the idea is 90% of the value (and 90% of the equity). Startup decisions only get harder later, never easier.

Intellectual Property 252

Intellectual Property Equity Cofounder CTO Hire 252

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. So, a fair split, would be closer to 60/40 in favor of the funding founder, when diluted for the cash.

Cofounder 136

Cofounder Equity Founder Seed Stage 136

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 Startup Magazine

MARCH 14, 2022

A business plan is drawn up to attract investors and partners. The equity dilution at this nascent stage is on desirable terms; such investing can lead to profitable returns. Equity listing offers an opportunity for investors from cities to own a part of the company. 2) Laying out the genesis of the company.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Due Diligence India Startup 138

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

(co-written with Jamie Finney, Founding Partner at Greater Colorado Venture Fund. 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. Of the Inc. Example VC.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

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 called stock dilution control. Minimize your own loss of ownership as major investors contribute.

Stock 240

Stock Vesting .Net Founder Vesting 240

David Teten

DECEMBER 2, 2019

And of course, effectively all venture capitalists are going to require some equity for their investment. I’m now researching non-dilutive funding for Action Tank , a startup I’m gestating to “Make America Functional Again”. I emphasize my focus here is organizations which are backing for-profit companies and do not take equity.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review SBIR Dilution Silicon Valley 60

The Next Web

OCTOBER 7, 2013

Quite frankly, waiting provides more assurance around employment risk without the commensurate sacrifice in equity comp. Every time a startup raises capital, all common shareholders are diluted. In a CTO Salary and Equity trends report by Safire Partners, it finds non-founder equity compensation to settle out below 2 percent.

Engineer 129

Engineer Dilution Option Pool Vesting 129

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

This structure offers some of the benefits of traditional equity VC, without some of the negatives of equity VC. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. In 2019 we partnered with several revenue-based lending providers, effectively creating a marketplace. “.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

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 called stock dilution control. Minimize your own loss of ownership as major investors contribute.

Vesting 298

Vesting Dilution Stock Founder Vesting 298

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction. How much equity ownership are you willing to offer? Most professional investors will expect preferred stock, a board seat, rights to later rounds and perhaps anti-dilution protection.

Preferred Stock 304

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 304

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2017

Executives run the day-to-day so often the board is more involved as a sparring partner at key intervals. Boards are not appointed to be founder-friendly lapdogs for the 1–3 founders who start companies and usually own the largest equity positions in the company. That’s true. The administrative work we actually do at board meetings?

Cofounder 217

Cofounder Stock Options Equity Technical Review 217

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2022

They have too many highly paid partners, fat fees, an aging corporate infrastructure and difficulty raising money from institutions. As lifecycle investment partners, they have become weighted down with portfolios still recovering from the economic downturn. Super angels are individuals or small teams using their own money.

Angel Investor 342

Angel Investor Venture Capital Silicon Valley Portfolio 342

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.

Fractional CTO 40

Fractional CTO Equity Iowa Technical Cofounder 40

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 31, 2020

The company was funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. No dilution to shareholders or the founders. Often, grants require that you partner with other organizations to deliver the results or measure the effectiveness of your special project.

Equity 62

Equity Finance Dilution Founder 62

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

The downside is loss of control and financial dilution. 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.

Founder 325

Founder Hockey Stick Cofounder Liquidity Event 325

discuss.joelonsoftware.com

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

where I can learn about how to build a sweat equity team? Rather, it is a proposal for sweat-equity investors. Mark Walsen Mark Walsen Thursday, October 09, 2008 Deleting … Approving … I think you would be better off hiring people, rather than trying to convince them to work for free in exchange for equity.

Sweat Equity 40

Sweat Equity Equity Angel Investor Affiliate 40

View from Seed

APRIL 30, 2015

Glen Mello: Venture debt is a good complement to equity. It’s generally got a lower cost compared to equity capital and can help support growth. Use good judgment, talk to your co-founders/investors/lawyers, and partner with a bank that values transparency and relationships such as SVB.]. What are some pros and cons?

Term Sheet 120

Term Sheet Equity Startup Seed Stage 120

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2010

I can save tons of development time and I think I can buy it for all equity. How much dilution should I take for it?&# My friend’s company was pre-revenue. Me: “Zero dilution. My recommendation to our lead partner looking at the deal, “Pass. He had an ad-supported business doing about 1.5

Merger 276

Merger Technical Review Early Stage Dilution 276

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

It seems that most of you entrepreneurs I meet in my role as business advisor are convinced that starting a new business requires equity investors, exponential growth, and a plan to go public via IPO. Personal income is related to operations versus equity. With major investors, your equity and return is diluted and delayed.

Small Business 311

Small Business Small Business Administration SBA Equity 311

Agile VC

JULY 11, 2012

in equity & loans which was ultimately worth >170x ($355M) when DEC went public about a decade later. Some disgruntled younger partners left to go start a new firm in 1965 called Greylock. Some disgruntled younger partners left in the 90s to form what is now Redpoint Ventures (IT team) and Versant Ventures (healthcare team).

Silicon Valley 240

Silicon Valley Carried Interest Cofounder Boston 240

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction. How much equity ownership are you willing to offer? Most professional investors will expect preferred stock, a board seat, rights to later rounds and perhaps anti-dilution protection.

Preferred Stock 337

Preferred Stock Startup Exit Strategy Equity 337

Austin Startup

JULY 6, 2018

Ask the Users Startup Accelerators: Bundled and Unbundled Over the past several years, accelerators have emerged as a powerful filtering and signaling mechanism in early-stage startup ecosystems, allowing high-potential young startups to connect with investors, advisors, and other strategic partners far faster and more efficiently than before.

Dilution 48

Dilution Startup Technical Review Equity 48

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

She started it with a partner, 50-50. 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. They were close friends, lived down the road and members of our synagogue. We sat down the three of us.

Founder 340

Founder Cofounder Sacramento Technical Review 340

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2020

They have too many highly paid partners, fat fees, an aging corporate infrastructure and difficulty raising money from institutions. As lifecycle investment partners, they have become weighted down with portfolios still recovering from the economic downturn. Super angels are individuals or small teams using their own money.

Angel Investor 314

Angel Investor Silicon Valley Venture Capital Startup 314

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2021

These can be a key source of funding connections, vendor contacts, and potential partners during your rollout and scaling. These programs don’t usually ask for equity, and they are particularly targeted to the early stages of your business to facilitate growth and survival. Negotiate bartering deals versus cash contracts.

Dilution 404

Dilution Bootstrapping Incubator Government 404

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.

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Partner 60

blog.nahurst.com

JULY 19, 2010

This covers one of the most common situations I encounter: For a pre-funding web startup whose team includes only a non-technical cofounder, how much equity should an incoming technical cofounder get? This is an area that varies widely and can significantly impact how much equity a technical cofounder receives (if they take more salary).

Technical Cofounder 43

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Equity Salary 43

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]. link] mattbartus. Categories.

Equity 40

Equity Vesting Silicon Valley Intellectual Property 40

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

Up and Running

JULY 1, 2020

Lenders and equity investors are less emotionally involved in the plan as people within the company. Our mission, as defined by the community partners that formed us, was to provide medical, dental, and mental health services. Will marketing for the expansion dilute marketing of your brand or other products?

Business Plan 152

Business Plan Forecast Operations Dilution 152

David Teten

OCTOBER 1, 2015

Not surprisingly, the list above also is ranked from least to most equity stake in an investment for the investor, relative to the cash they invest. How would one set up such a startup to eventually raise capital from outside VCs, who will be wary of ‘dead equity’ (i.e., equity that belongs to departed cofounders)? The cliffs?

Software Developers 60

Software Developers Software Development Software Review Technical Cofounder 60

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

This is where your business starts to incur real costs—but it’s also where entrepreneurs don’t like to be short term “sellers” of their equity. They’re hesitant to raise money—selling equity to investors—when things look great. Major league baseball players have trainers.

Dilution 104

Dilution Equity Hiring Partner 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2019

The downside is loss of control and financial dilution. 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.

Hockey Stick 243

Hockey Stick Cofounder Liquidity Event Startup 243

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

To provide relevant perspective, listing past convertible note(s) and/or equity financing(s) including total round size and valuation (caps) is helpful. Plus, any other non-standard items here should be called out, too, like non-dilutive grants, as applicable. First, it’s helpful to enumerate the startup’s funding history to date.

Cap Table 211

Cap Table Seed Stage Valuation Dilution 211

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

This came in part due to the huge influx of money into VC but also because hedge funds and private equity shops with no VC experience wanted part of the action. So if you’re in year 8 of a 10-year fund and fund raising hasn’t gone so well, it’s no surprise that some partners will leave. and trying to raise their next fund.

Burn Rate 263

Burn Rate Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Private Equity 263