Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2011

tl;dr version: If you’re an entrepreneur or VC or will be working in this industry - buy this. To this day I’m still surprised how few CEOs really understand the differences between 2x liquidation preference and a liquidation preference with a 2x cap. This article originally ran on TechCrunch.

Liquidation Preference 304

Liquidation Preference Term Sheet Cap Table Participating Preferred 304

crowdSPRING Blog

MARCH 13, 2014

9 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Their Customers – crowdspring.co/1loBthB. Good read for entrepreneurs & startup employees on liquidation preferences – crowdspring.co/1neVvzy. 9 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Their Customers – crowdspring.co/1loBthB. ReadWrite – crowdspring.co/1ekm5xR.

Social Media 96

Social Media Small Business Design Media 96

crowdSPRING Blog

MARCH 21, 2014

Good read for entrepreneurs & startup employees on liquidation preferences – crowdspring.co/1neVvzy. .” | by Howard Tullman - crowdspring.co/1l24JO5. Online commenter critical of business can be sued for defamation, Oregon court says – crowdspring.co/1d6RpW8. ” – crowdspring.co/1lPU1Ks.

Social Media 93

Social Media Small Business Design Media 93

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

For some aspiring to be tech entrepreneurs, I often suggest a two-step process, as I argued in this post that “ The First Startup Founder You Need to Invest in Is You.” Of course I’m not suggesting people shouldn’t start a company. If you can and if you want to – you should.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Liquidation Preference Silicon Valley IP 150

Life Beyond Code

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

One Million by One Million is a global initiative that aims to nurture a million entrepreneurs reach a million dollars each in annual revenue and beyond by 2020, thereby creating a trillion dollars in global GDP and ten million jobs. SM: In September 2008, when the first Entrepreneur Journeys book was released, D.D.

Programming 116

Programming Silicon Valley Bootstrapping Technical Review 116

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2021

As an angel investor to startups, I’m still surprised to find entrepreneurs who expect investors to give them money, and assume no strings attached. If the entrepreneur wants total control of their own venture, with no one looking over their shoulder, they should work within the limits of their own resources, a process called bootstrapping.

Term Sheet 433

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Startup 433

Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

As part of the deal you signed with your investors was a term specifying the Liquidation Preference. The liquidation preference determines how the pie is split between you and your investors when there is a liquidity event. Your investors funded you for a liquidity event. Great entrepreneurs shoot for 20X.

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Liquidity Event Founder Liquidation Preference Private Equity 120

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2015

As I read stories of college dropouts who had successfully sold tech companies, or entrepreneurs with innovative ideas who made it big on Shark Tank, it became clear that there was no set path to startup success. C Corp versus LLC, non-competes, liquidation preferences, preferred versus common stock, and so on).

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Cofounder Angel Investor eCommerce 60

Altgate

DECEMBER 15, 2010

@altgate Startups, Venture Capital & Everything In Between Skip to content Home Furqan Nazeeri (fn@altgate.com) ← No one wants to tell you your baby is ugly More on Liquidation Preferences → Pre-Money Valuation vs Number of Founders Posted on December 15, 2010 by admin Here’s a chart of the day worth sharing.

Pre-Money Valuation 66

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Cofounder Founder 66

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

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2015

I’m so tired of seeing young entrepreneurs get screwed by their angel investors on convertible notes and I know I can’t convince you not to do it so I’d like to offer one simple bit of advice to help you avoid getting screwed (at least on one part of your note). They get their full investment as a 1x liquidation preference.

Liquidation Preference 150

Liquidation Preference Ratchet Angel Investor Entrepreneur 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

If you do a capped note it’s bad for the entrepreneur. It has both a “full rachet” and “multiple liquidation preferences.” Here is what I recommend very often – privately – to startup entrepreneurs for angel funding. If you do an uncapped note it’s bad for the investor.

Pre-Money Valuation 294

Pre-Money Valuation Finance Liquidation Preference Warrant 294

Startup Company Lawyer

MARCH 14, 2010

Founders Institute Plain Preferred Term Sheet (by WSGR – disclaimer, I represent the Founders Institute and was involved in drafting this document). My general opinion is that anything that makes the financing process faster and easier or otherwise educates entrepreneurs is a good thing. (A Dividend preference.

Finance 70

Finance Software Review Term Sheet Liquidation Preference 70

www.founderinstitute.com

MARCH 2, 2010

Participation" means that investors "double dip" by getting both their liquidation preference and their equity allocation. - A 1x liquidation preference , versus a 1x to 3x range in recent deals reported on TheFunded.com. The Plain Preferred term sheet aligns the investor and the entrepreneur incentives.

Term Sheet 40

Term Sheet Liquidation Preference Vesting San Diego 40

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

We talked about how business school historically hasn’t positioned entrepreneurs well for success. I wrote about that before in a post about “ whether MBAs are necessary for entrepreneurs. His class reading lists could be a primer for any entrepreneur, not just MBAs. Neither does Clayton.

Bankruptcy 403

Bankruptcy Offshore Liquidation Preference Balance Sheet 403

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

6 Simple Selling Tips For Software Entrepreneurs [link] (from OnStartups). 6 Simple Selling Tips For Software Entrepreneurs. US Economic Risks (Sept 2010): Impact on Investors & Entrepreneurs [link]. US Economic Risks (Sept 2010): Impact on Investors & Entrepreneurs | Both Sides of the Table.

Liquidation Preference 216

Liquidation Preference Silicon Valley Startup Software 216

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2009

I often have career discussions with entrepreneurs – both young and more mature – whether they should join company “X&# or not. BTW, this ignores liquidation preferences which actually mean you’ll earn less. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Startup Advice. This is part of my Startup Advice series.

Stock Options 418

Stock Options Stock Liquidation Preference Option Pool 418

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 14, 2010

Having raised too much money at my first company only to be buried under huge liquidation preferences and a huge board with divergent interests I have a bias for smaller funding rounds and capital efficiency. I believe that this creates more opportunities for both entrepreneurs (who have more exit options) and for investors.

Liquidation Preference 343

Liquidation Preference Chicago Operations Partner 343

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. It’s true that angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. Liquidation preference.

Term Sheet 227

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Post-Money Valuation 227

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2012

Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an Angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. It’s true that Angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. Liquidation preference.

Term Sheet 223

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Angel Investor 223

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2014

As an Angel investor to startups, I’m still surprised to find entrepreneurs who expect investors to give them money, and then disappear into the sunset. Finally, entrepreneurs should never forget that investors really believe that they are there to help (not like “I''m from the IRS and I''m here to help”). Marty Zwilling.

Term Sheet 237

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Startup 237

The Equity Kicker

JANUARY 18, 2013

If you’ve been paying attention you will know that Nicholas Lovell and I are writing a book for entrepreneurs who want to raise venture capital. We are now preparing to shoot a promotional video which opens with five frustrations that entrepreneurs frequently encounter when they embark on the fundraising process, expressed as questions.

Liquidation Preference 159

Liquidation Preference Venture Capital Dilution Video 159

abovethecrowd.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Buying into such a notion is dangerous – dangerous for the entrepreneur and dangerous for the investor. As a simple example, many investors and entrepreneurs do not realize that coupon or discount use is a contra-revenue event when it comes to revenue recognition. You must subtract it from your top-line revenue.

IPO 40

IPO Liquidation Preference Valuation Technical Review 40

Altgate

OCTOBER 8, 2009

Raising Capital: 5 Reasons Convertible Debt Sucks HOT The Collapse of the VC Ecosystem & What It Will Look Like Post Recovery 10 Tips On Negotiating With VCs Dating…er…Fundraising Etiquette The Science & Art of Term Sheet Negotiation HOT How Liquidation Preferences Work HOT How Much Money Should I Raise?

Term Sheet 39

Term Sheet Technical Review Michigan Liquidation Preference 39

Feld Thoughts

MAY 7, 2012

Down: Liquidation preference. Entrepreneurs – don’t get confused by the endless mumbo-jumbo. And even though a term sheet might be four to eight pages long and the definitive documents might be 100 pages or more, other than economics, there are really only three things a VC needs in a deal. Up: Pro-rata rights.

Liquidation Preference 145

Liquidation Preference Term Sheet Search Entrepreneur 145

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 10, 2022

So, as an entrepreneur, I encourage you to deal with reality. Rather, when you have a choice between a financing at a lower valuation and a financing with all kinds of crazy structure to try to maintain a previous valuation, negotiate the best price you can but do a clean financing with no structure. and a bunch of other things.

Down Round 165

Down Round Ratchet Liquidation Preference Participating Preferred 165

The Equity Kicker

JUNE 28, 2013

Otherwise the investors won’t make the multiple on their investment that they want and after liquidation preferences are paid the amount left for the entrepreneur may well also be disappointing. back making 8.3x (£2m off the top and then 33% of the remaining £19m) and the entrepreneur makes £12.7m. Nobody is happy.

Liquidation Preference 116

Liquidation Preference Valuation Portfolio Operations 116

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

You know this isn’t likely to lead anywhere and frankly you didn’t quit your job to pursue your life dream of being an entrepreneur to sell 12 months later in an acquihire. The don’t understand VC liquidation preferences or multiple return expectations. But staff can’t make the delineation in their heads.

Startup 417

Startup Dilution San Diego Stock Options 417

Gust

OCTOBER 17, 2011

Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. It’s true that angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. Liquidation preference.

Term Sheet 158

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Angel Investor 158

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

But if you’re the CEO who is spinning up a story about how the options for non-founders, non-VPs is going to be worth a lot some day then you’re probably doing some young entrepreneur a disservice at your expense.** And when they figure it out some day they’re not likely to be very loyal moving forward.

Stock Options 294

Stock Options Stock Valuation Liquidation Preference 294

genylabs.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

The Changing Face of Entrepreneurs. The Connected World of Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Magazine Blog. where your stock sits in the liquidity preference stack. what rights and preferences the founders and the other investors have. Business Week: Twitter for Entrepreneurs: 20 to Follow: Steve King.

Equity 40

Equity Technical Review San Jose Stock 40

Growthink Blog

JANUARY 24, 2011

I get the same question a lot from entrepreneurs raising equity capital (venture capital or angel funding). The question is whether they need to issue common or preferred stock. The answer depends on how and what rights are defined in the preferred stock. If, then the company were to be sold for $5,000,000 (i.e. read more.

Preferred Stock 93

Preferred Stock Stock Common Stock Liquidation Preference 93

Altgate

JANUARY 5, 2009

@altgate Startups, Venture Capital & Everything In Between Skip to content Home Furqan Nazeeri (fn@altgate.com) ← Layoffs In Venture Capital Be Glad You Are An Entrepreneur! ← Layoffs In Venture Capital Be Glad You Are An Entrepreneur! Tips: $75 Killver VC Pitch Deck Not much to learn here. Bookmark the permalink.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Liquidation Preference 28

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

Yet a critical mistake I see many entrepreneurs make is that they hand over too much control to their third-parties. For one, due to the way liquidation preference work sometimes they have “flat spots&# which means that they might earn the exact same amount from a $40 million sale as they would from a $50 million sale.

Term Sheet 319

Term Sheet PR Liquidation Preference Stock Options 319

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2018

As an angel investor to startups, I’m still surprised to find entrepreneurs who expect investors to give them money, and assume no strings attached. If the entrepreneur wants total control of their own venture, with no one looking over their shoulder, they should work within the limits of their own resources, a process called bootstrapping.

Term Sheet 140

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Portfolio 140

K9 Ventures

JUNE 5, 2015

The founders of these funds are entrepreneurs in their own right and every entrepreneur has an innate desire to make things grow. The thinking is that since these companies will always be valued higher than the liquidation preference of the investment, therefore there is downside protection, and so they’re only playing for the upside.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Venture Capital Early Stage Valuation 48

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2015

As an angel investor to startups, I’m still surprised to find entrepreneurs who expect investors to give them money, and assume no strings attached. If the entrepreneur wants total control of their own venture, with no one looking over their shoulder, they should work within the limits of their own resources, a process called bootstrapping.

Term Sheet 120

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Angel Investor 120