Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

And then in the late 90’s money crept in, swept in to town by public markets, instant wealth and an absurd sky-rocketing of valuations based on no reasonable metrics. We had nascent revenues, ridiculous cost structures and unrealistic valuations. Until we weren’t. 2001–2007: THE BUILDING YEARS The dot com bubble had burst.

Valuation 466

Valuation San Francisco Ratchet Liquidation Preference 466

Up and Running

APRIL 27, 2012

A more fundamental problem that entrepreneurs can control, however, is related to their understanding of the key revenue drivers of their businesses. Internet entrepreneurs in the UK need to push managing metrics right to the front of their to-do lists. Most meaningful metrics. They are in build mode after all. But they don’t.

Metrics 68

Metrics Nigeria Ratchet Churn Rate 68

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

At an accelerator … Me: Raising convertible notes as a seed round is one of the biggest disservices our industry has done to entrepreneurs since 2001-2003 when there were “full ratchets” and “multiple liquidation preferences” – the most hostile terms anybody found in term sheets 10 years ago. Your A round?

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Gust

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Me: Raising convertible notes as a seed round is one of the biggest disservices our industry has done to entrepreneurs since 2001-2003 when there were “full ratchets” and “multiple liquidation preferences” – the most hostile terms anybody found in term sheets 10 years ago. There were no metrics. Him: On metrics. Your A round?

Liquidation Preference 153

Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet Stock 153

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

3]   However, if they are built bottom up, they demonstrate and make explicit a range of business model assumptions the entrepreneur is using to think about his business and its revenue model.   Pre-bubble Siliicon Valley deals were popularly valued at multiples of revenue. This is why a bottom up approach is more credible.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 20, 2016

A high performing, high-growth SAAS company that may have been worth 10 or more times revenue was suddenly worth 4-7 times revenue. Anything that hints of a down round brings questions about the success metrics that have already been “booked.” The same thing happened to many Internet stocks.

IPO 40

IPO Term Sheet Silicon Valley Valuation 40