« Founders Talking About Failure | Do I Practice What I Preach? »
How An Entrepreneur Can Protect Himself Post-Funding
On this spectacular fourth of July (at least in Homer – it’s 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky), I was enjoying disk 2 of Atlas Shrugged (I’m about 300 pages in) on my run today. I’m deep into the section where all the competent people are quitting and walking off the playing field and the looters are ratcheting up the rules, which have the unintended consequence of destroying the world as they know it. Hank is still fighting it out trying to hold everything together in an increasingly bleak world and Dagny is on her quest to find the inventor of the motor as she naively thinks that will solve everything. The contrasts of the section I’m listening to lingered in my mind long after my run, especially as I pondered the state of affairs (good and bad) in our country 230 years after our birth.
When I sat back down at my computer, a question a that I got a few weeks ago from a reader jumped out at me. The question follows:
If you are an entrepreneur leading a start-up, and you are negotiating investment with a strategic investor or VC, what are the standard or most desirable ways to protect yourself personally now that you have the potential to be fired? Lets say they want to get rid of you in 6 months, and have the ability to do that, what type of parachute or provisions should the founder have on the front end to make sure they are covered in the event of being dismissed or benched? Issues like whether you can be fired at all or just assigned a new role, severance salary/term and protecting your equity. I have heard that covering yourself personally is among the most important terms to negotiate in a term sheet as the founder. If by securing funding you are also unwittingly arranging your own personal demise, what precautions should you take.
I might have answered this differently if it (a) wasn’t the 4th of July and (b) I hadn’t just listened to a particularly disheartening section of Atlas Shrugged. While Jason and I covered the basics in our post on Vesting and part of our Term Sheet series, that only covers one aspect of the question – namely that of what is standard and fair in protecting your stock position. While some VCs and entrepreneurs will try to negotiate employment agreements as part of a financing, I hate these.
If – as the entrepreneur – you are competent – it’s unlikely the premise above is valid. Specifically, very few VCs invest in a company with the idea of firing the CEO in six months. While many CEOs get replaced – and it’s often not pretty – it’s rarely because the new investor coming into a company thought – a priori – I want to get rid of this guy right after I invest.
As a result, I think the most effective approach for an entrepreneur is to punt completely on the employment agreement and issue of “employment protection.” An open, direct discussion with the new investor is key – if the VC believes the entrepreneur should be playing a role other than CEO, get this out in the open in advance of the financing. The entrepreneur should also do the leg work to understand the history of the investor – is this an investor that stands behind the entrepreneurs he funds or does he have a history of revolving door management? When things don’t work out, how does the investor behave – is he fair and appropriate? While you can’t always pick your investor, you certainly can know what you are getting yourself into.
I believe a combination of competence and transparency is the best approach. If you are an excellent CEO, completely open with your investors about the good and the bad, diligent about trying to make the company successful, and completely open to feedback and constructive criticism, it’s unlikely that you’ll randomly get fired. If the company isn’t performing, or you are struggling in your role, being open, honest, and proactive with your investors will almost always be much more effective than “employment protection.” Occasionally you’ll run into “a bad investor” who has nefarious motives, but the world is small and life is short so this shouldn’t be that hard to figure out in advance.
While a cynical entrepreneur might paint this as an idealistic perspective, I’ve found that the real trust between the entrepreneur and investor is much more important than a legal agreement that immediately polarizes people before they’ve even started working together.









Pingback: Helen Matthews
Pingback: Multisystem 110 220 TV
Pingback: payday loans online
Pingback: แทงบอลออนไลน์
Pingback: Just Some Thoughts on My Site
Pingback: distillation
Pingback: all natural girls
Pingback: Visit My Web Site
Pingback: แทงบอลออนไลน์
Pingback: kalendarz 2013
Pingback: alcohol
Pingback: chlamydia treatment online
Pingback: Las Vegas Pizza
Pingback: alcohol
Pingback: Pisanie prac magisterskich
Pingback: read more
Pingback: payday loans online
Pingback: Search homes for sale in Aspen Colorado
Pingback: distillation supplies
Pingback: stretch wrapping machine
Pingback: Personal Injury
Pingback: weißere zähne
Pingback: posicionamiento web valencia
Pingback: Buy Phentermine
Pingback: lottery tickets
Pingback: where can i buy instagram followers
Pingback: see service advisor
Pingback: Point west auto mall
Pingback: divorce lawyers nashville
Pingback: Easy Home Made Energy
Pingback: MOM employment Pass
Pingback: koh samui villas
Pingback: web design service
Pingback: Foxy bingo bonus codes
Pingback: search engine optimisation melbourne
Pingback: stag accommodation derbyshire
Pingback: biker leather jackets
Pingback: Motorcycle Camping Trailer
Pingback: nearby hotels comments
Pingback: kids birthday cards
Pingback: hotel furniture
Pingback: wedding program templates
Pingback: Ingles Dublin
Pingback: sony xperia z
Pingback: escorte
Pingback: bridal dresses
Pingback: wedding planner
Pingback: singles
Pingback: money blog
Pingback: dual
Pingback: sağlık
Pingback: penny stock
Pingback: miley cyrus bikini
Pingback: chosen
Pingback: build price request
Pingback: wedding dresses
Pingback: charity
Pingback: St. Edward’s University Students Reach Out to help the Homeless
Pingback: free webcams online
Pingback: trademark lawyer
Pingback: Kratom crushed leaf
Pingback: moving backgrounds
Pingback: affordable car insurance in ny
Pingback: google backlinks
Pingback: DM800se Images
Pingback: bursa escort
Pingback: Kids products India
Pingback: meet people nearby
Pingback: door supervisor training
Pingback: boxers
Pingback: targeted website traffic
Pingback: http://forum.siteground.com/member.php?47625-nickyhovarter
Pingback: DISCOUNT Fluconazole in USA
Pingback: facebook hacker download
Pingback: vietnam cycling tours
Pingback: Buddhaghosa Bhoola
Pingback: Amarpreet Sachi
Pingback: linux vps
Pingback: buy vps
Pingback: best vps hosting
Pingback: security training
Pingback: BUY HERBAL INCENSE BLENDS
Pingback: HERBAL SMOKE BLENDS
Pingback: Read More
Pingback: fast wordpress hosting
Pingback: joomla social media
Pingback: HERBAL SMOKE
Pingback: move out cleaning sydney
Pingback: soundcloud promotion
Pingback: home theater installation san diego
Pingback: appliances online
Pingback: logo design
Pingback: Ipad video lessons
Pingback: Miami Lakes
Pingback: wedding venues
Pingback: entrepreneur
Pingback: magic submitter
Pingback: make money from home
Pingback: wedding planner
Pingback: ankara escort
Pingback: plantas purificadoras de agua
Pingback: online free sex chat
Pingback: where can i buy garcinia cambogia
Pingback: Irene Hoffman
Pingback: Janis Newton
Pingback: micro ring hair extensions
Pingback: kleine auto
Pingback: carpet cleaning swansea ma
Pingback: oriental rug cleaning boston ma
Pingback: seo company
Pingback: sydney escorts
Pingback: read about Buenos Aires
Pingback: Homepage
Pingback: Luther Mckinney
Pingback: netflix australia guide
Pingback: Allen Curry
Pingback: rodent control
Pingback: Homepage
Pingback: Schuhe Online
Pingback: Tulsa Contractors
Pingback: seo
Pingback: Work Permit Singapore
Pingback: internet advertising
Pingback: office toys
Pingback: wholesale wedding flowers
Pingback: phen375 customer reviews is it worth using
Pingback: ne zaman emekli olabilirim
Pingback: where to sell diamonds
Pingback: Related Site
Pingback: Customized fat loss
Pingback: free animated screensavers
Pingback: emigrate to australia
Pingback: dog feces
Pingback: how to unlock iphone 4
Pingback: iphone 5 unlocked
Pingback: unlock iphone 3gs
Pingback: shampoo for psoriasis
Pingback: irvine real estate
Pingback: how to make money online
Pingback: plantas purificadoras de agua
Pingback: dashboard camera for car
Pingback: Implante dentario
Pingback: dreambox
Pingback: download proxies
Pingback: krav maga san diego
Pingback: compare family cell phone plans
Pingback: grants
Pingback: pearlsonly
Pingback: Online Cash Advance
Pingback: Kristjan Porm Photography
Pingback: the tao of badass
Pingback: text the romance back
Pingback: small business seo services
Pingback: pay day loans
Pingback: Free hot sex chat call 08712302701
Pingback: Hot Dog Cart
Pingback: filtry do wody
Pingback: 1300 numbers
Pingback: somanabolic muscle maximizer scam
Pingback: Milwaukee fence
Pingback: SEO Website Design
Pingback: website SEO analysis
Pingback: Local SEO Marketing
Pingback: electrician durham nc
Pingback: direct tv satellite internet
Pingback: Traffic Exchange
Pingback: Kamagra Oral Jelly
Pingback: Kamagra
Pingback: dog car harness
Pingback: precious metals ira
Pingback: Ayurvedic medicines for sex
Pingback: Speed Dating Richmond
Pingback: buying lipitor cheap
Pingback: cheap auto insurance missouri
Pingback: herbal smoking
Pingback: herbal smoke blends
Pingback: herbal smoking
Pingback: Herbal Smoke Blends
Pingback: Herbal Smoke
Pingback: Herbal Smoke
Pingback: things to do in singapore
Pingback: Herbal Smoke Blends
Pingback: Payday Loans
Pingback: Norwich Plumbers
Pingback: Starting A Home Business
Pingback: scrap car removal
Pingback: tooth pulled lakeway
Pingback: dental implants
Pingback: Herbal Smoke
Pingback: legal buds
Pingback: Herbal Smoke
Pingback: buy facebook likes
Pingback: Bad Credit Loans
Pingback: Cardsharing server
Pingback: E500i-A1 Review
Pingback: muebles cocina boadilla
Pingback: pcbooster scam
Pingback: Money Choice Matt George
Pingback: cargo containers
Pingback: bonnie modugno
Pingback: exotic cars for sale
Pingback: IdeaScale
Pingback: hotels traverse city
Pingback: rhode island wedding bands
Pingback: Quality Caskets
Pingback: Life Cover
Pingback: Website
Pingback: garrett fitzgerald arrested northampton ma
Pingback: Innovation Management
Pingback: to hack skype
Pingback: Norfolk
Pingback: fitness trainers irvine
Pingback: mobiliario de jardin
Pingback: Funeral
Pingback: blocked drains