Making the most of the founder/investor dynamic (w/ Liz Zalman, author of 'Founder vs Investor')
Founders and investors like to tell themselves they're on the same team, and they can be – but it takes work.
In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Liz Zalman, a veteran founder with over 20 years of startup experience, for an in-depth chat about the real dynamics of the founder-investor relationship. Liz is also co-author (alongside VC Jerry Neumann) of 'Founder Vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO’, one of Yaniv's favorite books on startups.
From re-vesting demands to acquisition offers that investors won't approve, Liz brings hard-won, unfiltered perspective to some of the most uncomfortable moments a founder will face.
In this episode, you will:
- Understand what re-vesting actually is, and the smartest way to respond when investors ask for it.
- Learn why taking a single dollar of venture capital puts you on a specific, irreversible path.
- Discover how to negotiate a term sheet from a position of strength, even when you're exhausted and desperate to close.
- Find out when and how founders can take money off the table – and why most quality investors support founders to have stability in their personal finances.
- Learn how Liz stress-tests potential investors while negotiating terms.
- Understand the real difference between valuation and control.
- Hear why listening is the single most underrated skill in a founder's toolkit.
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Founder vs. Investor (book) by Elizabeth Zalman & Jerry Neumann, the book discussed throughout this episode: https://www.foundervsinvestor.com
- Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson, referenced by Yaniv as "the bible of venture capital": https://www.venturedeals.com
- Sandgarden, Liz's current startup: https://www.sandgarden.com
- Liz Zalman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethzalman
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Key links
This episode of the Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta.
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/#Investors #Startups #TechStartups #Founder #TechBusiness #TheStartupPodcast
