Matt Birnbaum’s Post

Every Founder who is hiring their first few hires should listen to this! Matt Birnbaum talks all about equity pools for hiring your initial team - Model out how many hires you will need from now until your next priced round - After each sequential hire, your company is de-risked so hires closer to the next round will receive less equity - Do whatever your need to make your first few hires because it makes your next few that much easier

Numbers Matter—But They’re Not Enough...Storytelling Closes. Right now, we’re guiding one of our startup clients through the process of attracting investors and closing their seed round. The focus? Framing their growth in a way that truly speaks to investors. Here’s what we’re prioritizing: 1️⃣ The "Why": Highlighting the problem they’re solving and why it matters. 2️⃣ Data That Speaks: Connecting key metrics—like revenue growth and user retention— and connecting these metrics to the strategies that made them possible. 3️⃣ The Path Ahead: Mapping out clear milestones and showing how funding will accelerate growth. Investors want more than numbers... They want a story—a narrative that makes them believe in the vision and the people behind it. #Startups #GrowthStrategy #PitchDeckTips #Storytelling #Capitalraise

Great short video by Mark Elliott on the benefits of using a part-time sales force. Small businesses to be competitive need to be lean and flexible and an outsourced solution for sales can help with that.

When evaluating startups, I look for a few non-negotiables that signal strong foundations for long-term success: ✅ User Value: Startups need to solve real problems and create genuine value for their users—without that, there’s no sustainable growth. ✅ Team Alignment and Commitment: A unified, mission-driven team can overcome almost any challenge. ✅ Hiring for Complementary Strengths: Founders who recognize their weaknesses and bring in top talent to fill those gaps are setting themselves up for success. ✅ Equity Structure: Fair equity distribution ensures everyone is invested in the journey ahead. These principles are key indicators of resilience, focus, and strategic thinking in a founding team. #VentureCapital #StartupInvesting #Founders #TeamBuilding #InvestorInsights #VisionStartups

While many founders dream of ringing the bell on Wall Street, fewer are setting their sights on it. A Techstars survey of over 1,500 entrepreneurs found that just 15% say their long-term goal is an IPO. More than double that amount (34%) wish to get acquired by a publicly traded company. As I shared in my last post, IPOs are at their lowest point in over 15 years. Founders are adjusting to this new normal and refocusing on strong fundamentals at the earliest stages. Those efforts are paying off. Last quarter, Carta found that about half of M&A for startups involved pre-seed or seed companies. As more founders navigate this new reality, expect greater focus on building acquirable businesses in a matter of years vs the decade-long march to an IPO that might suddenly get shut down.

If your startup has more advisors than customers, it's time for a change of strategy. Yes, I know having a team slide made up of a dozen advisors in a pitch deck may make you think that is what investors want, but spoilers, it isn’t. Advisors should be more than mere placeholders in a deck; they should be your early investors or seasoned experts in your industry. Their role goes beyond changing the colors of your logo – they should be actively opening doors, expanding your pipeline, and offering invaluable technical support. #startup #founders  #venturecapital

In the early stages, founders often fuel their dreams with blood, sweat, and equity, trading ownership for investment to propel their startups forward. As your company grows, it's crucial to master the art of fundraising, whether through seed rounds, Series A, or subsequent funding stages. Each step shapes your equity structure and influences your control over the helm. But hey, it's not just about gathering funds; it's about choosing the right investors who align with your mission and bring more than just capital to the table. Fast forward to the acquisition phase – the grand finale, where your hard work and strategic decisions pay off. The equity lifecycle is not just a financial journey; it's a narrative of resilience, growth, and leaving an indelible mark in the ecosystem. Join us later today for our Equity Mastery Series to gain insights from Paul Kwesi Damalie former CEO of Appruve as he chats with Marvin H. Coleby 🔥 about his mastery of an equity lifecycle- how he successfully navigated his startup journey to the M&A stage- an acquisition of his company by Smile ID (formerly Smile Identity). 👉 Set a reminder: https://hubs.la/Q02ml5pm0 #EquityLifecycle #EquityMastery #MergersAndAcquisitions #AfricanStartups #AfricanMergers #Startups #Founders #Raise

Founders are the lifeblood of the US startup ecosystem, driving innovation and solving hard problems. However, understanding equity dilution is crucial for reaping the best rewards. Our General Partner Kelly Perdew shared insights on navigating this complex process, breaking down the impact of initial equity distribution, employee stock ownership plans (ESOP), funding rounds, re-vesting schedules, SAFE and convertible notes funding, founder ownership augmentation, and liquidity strategies. Flip through the slides to see the basic components of founder dilution, and dive into the details in his blog post here: https://lnkd.in/dtSeR6d7 #startups #innovation #leadership #venturecapital #founders #equity #equitydilution #liquidity #ESOP #stock #VC

Need a great team but don’t have the money yet for your early stage startup? 💵 Here's a powerful strategy I used to attract top talent before raising any money. Use equity in your company as a currency to bring on co-founders, team members, and advisors. 📊 Create an agreement where people track their hours at an agreed rate, then convert that value into equity based on an estimated company valuation. This approach allows you to promise something bigger: a share in your company's future success. 📈 For hires worried about risk of a super early stage startup, consider offering to convert their equity to cash once you raise your first round (or next round) of funding. What tips do you have for building out your early team when you're at ground zero? Share in the comments below 👇 #StartupStrategy #startup

This is precisely why we built Kiksasa. Our co-founders Kelly Flynn and Tim Chalk have worked in and bootstrapped startups for the last 20+ years. They know how hard it can be, so they decided to make it easier. When founders can find and support each other through the grind, get the help they need from those who love working with early-stage companies, slow their cash burn, and remove obstacles such as access to benefits, their chance of success increases dramatically. Kiksasa: Simple apps, meaningful connections, even healthcare. All in a single pane of glass. And free for founders. 😀 🔥