Looking for Investment? Understand Startup Valuation

By Tim Berry

How much equity do I have to give to angel investors? If you’re a startup founder looking for angel investment, you need to understand valuation. It’s a buzzword that people use in other contexts, too, which adds to the confusion. But it’s ultimately what determines how much of your company your investors will get, and... Read More »

Video: Startup Funding. Bootstrap. Then “Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You.”

By Tim Berry

I stumbled on this brilliant video of an after-hours startup funding event at the Stanford business school, a panel discussion putting two of the best-known, most influential, and most successful investors (Marc Andreessen and Ron Conway) together with another successful entrepreneur (Parker Conrad, founder of Zenefits), a moderator, and a group of interested entrepreneurs. The... Read More »

Some Hard Advice on Working for Sweat Equity

By Tim Berry

I just posted Why Sweat Equity Often Stinks on the gust.com blog for startups and angel investors. It’s quite cynical, I’m afraid, but it also reflects what I’ve seen for years. Sweat equity is a dangerous concept. It’s way too easy to misinterpret and misunderstand. And whether it’s intended to be or not, it’s way... Read More »

Sticky Questions on Startup Ownership and Buy-Sell

By Tim Berry

I received this interesting detailed question from the ask me form on my website. I’ve decided to answer it here. I think my answer might be useful for others with similar questions. I’m putting the question in quotes, paragraph by paragraph, and adding my response directly where it comes in the question. It starts like... Read More »