Venture Deals
Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson's guide to how venture capital deals work, from the economics and control terms in a term sheet to convertible notes and running a raise. Founders come away able to read a term sheet, run the key math, and spot which points deserve a fight.
4 sections ยท 11 lessons
Course outline
Reading the Deal
- Only Two Kinds of Terms Really Matter
- Who Can Actually Say Yes
The Economic Terms
- The Price Behind the Headline Valuation
- Who Gets Paid First in a Sale
- When the Next Round Is Cheaper
- Why Vesting Protects Founders Too
- Choosing Between Two Term Sheets
Control and Fine Print
- Board Seats and Veto Rights
- Who Can Force or Block a Sale
- Small Terms With Sharp Edges
Raising the Round
- Convertible Notes Still Set a Price
- Raise Like You Mean It
- Planning a Seed Round