Both Sides of the Table
MAY 9, 2018
I also had to negotiate a follow-on round at a portfolio company because new investors were trying to force a bit option-pool top-up that would dilute the founders and existing shareholders and existing investors were fighting over prorata rights. Wednesday I have 4 companies coming in to talk about their companies.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 2, 2011
As Finance Fridays continues, we are introducing the concept of the Cap Table. As first time entrepreneurs they did not create an employee options pool; we’ll fix that in a little while. They come up with two options: Hire Praveena as an employee and offer her stock options.
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SoCal CTO
SEPTEMBER 27, 2011
Ben Yoskovitz gets to a similar point In Changing Equity Structures for Early Startup Employees : The more that those first employees feel like founders in terms of their ownership, emotional attachment, responsibility and overall understanding of the startup process (including financing, running day-to-day activities, etc.)
The Next Web
OCTOBER 7, 2013
Startup employees are granted common shares out of something called an option pool. It is typical for employees to vest their options over four years with a one year cliff, which means a new hire must stay on the company for at least one year to see any shares. What’s everyone else getting?
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. Many young tech startups reserve 15%-20% for employee stock options. It’s a logical solution.
ReadWriteStart
SEPTEMBER 2, 2011
While certainly not every business needs to raise venture financing, it is the path for many high-growth technology startups. Including things like liquidation preferences impact both future rounds and ultimate liquidity to why VCs ask to expand an option pool before investing as part of their term sheet.
Scott Edward Walker
JULY 20, 2011
This is particularly important where there will be an ongoing relationship post-closing, such as in a venture capital financing or private equity acquisition. Whatever the issue, the advice is simple (albeit difficult to execute): in order to maintain negotiating leverage and credibility, the entrepreneur should not capitulate first.
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