Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist, Third Edition

By Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson
Get the inside scoop on what venture capitalists want to see in your startup

Description

Venture Deals provides entrepreneurs and startup owners with a definitive reference for understanding venture capital funding. More than an overview of the process, this book delves into the details of the term sheet, the players, the negotiations, the legalities, and more, including what not to do. This new third edition has been updated to reflect the new realities of today's intricate startup environment: you'll learn how the decisions are made, what every item on the term sheet means, what's up for negotiation, and what's not. You'll discover the secrets to expanding your prospects, negotiating the right deal for your company, and figuring out the right balance of funding versus control. You'll see the process through the eyes of the venture capitalist, the angel investor, the syndicate, and the lawyer, and develop a strategy that makes funding your company a win for all parties involved.

This book is designed to help entrepreneurs succeed, by bringing transparency to the venture capital funding process. Veteran investors walk you through the process from start to finish and beyond to help you:

Understand how venture capital funds work, and how investors decide to invest
Learn effective negotiation tactics based on game theory
Delve into the meanings behind the term sheet's economic and control issues
Avoid common issues that sink deals at the seed, early, mid- and late stages
Written by the experts at Foundry Group, this unique guide is expressly geared toward those on the other side of the table; instead of parsing investor-focused advice and working backward, you get actual insider information on what the people with the money want to see. If you're ready to take the next step for your business, Venture Deals is an essential read.

Author Information

BRAD FELD has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur for over twenty-five years. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group—a Boulder, Colorado-based venture capital firm—he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital. Brad also founded Intensity Ventures, a company that helped launch and operate software companies. Prior to this, Brad founded Feld Technologies. He is also a founder of Techstars and has been active with non-profit organizations, including acting as chairperson for the National Center for Women in Technology.

JASON MENDELSON has 20 years of experience in the venture industry. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, Jason was a Managing Director and Chief Administrative officer at Mobius Venture Capital, where he also served as the firm's general counsel. Besides his experience as a venture investor, Jason has also been a software engineer, startup lawyer, and a co-founder of SRS | Acquiom. He is an adjunct at the University of Colorado Law School where he co-teaches a course on venture capital and entrepreneurship.

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