Negotiating | A View from the Valley

Perspectives on issues affecting founders, startups and investors from a veteran startup lawyer in Silicon Valley

Category Archives: Negotiating

Let’s Make a Deal – 5 tips for Startups when Negotiating Contracts with Big Customers

posted Sep 14 in Negotiating

So your startup has finally landed a deal with a huge customer that could potentially put your company on the map. Now how do you negotiate this deal so that your company (not just theirs) gets the most out of this relationship (and avoids a situation like this one: In a Partnership of Unequals, a…

Don’t blow up your Series A term sheet by over-optimizing terms

posted Mar 31 in Negotiating, Startups, Term Sheets, Venture Capital

Let’s say you’re a first-time entrepreneur and you’ve hit on an idea that is getting some traction and attracting the attention of VCs. You do some research online to familiarize yourself with customary terms and finally get a term sheet from a reputable VC at a valuation you think is fair. Next comes the fun…

How to pump up your VC valuation

posted Feb 9 in Equity, Negotiating, Startups, Term Sheets, Venture Capital

If you are a company that is fundraising, keep in mind that there are a few different levers you can pull to change the amount of dilution that the founders will experience. VCs know about these levers, and they pull them all the time. Let’s look at an example of a lever that you can…