Do you know about all the different ways to screw up your startup’s financials? 

Managing investments for your startup is bound to come with difficulties and requires a lot of learning by doing. However, you can learn how to avoid these mistakes beforehand!  

Tune in to todays episode and listen to Sven, Gerrit and Dries discuss about: 

• Both sides of the financing table  
• What type of red flags to identify in investors?
• Do you get in bed with the devil? 
• Equity shares in university spin outs 
• And many other interesting topics! 

We hope you enjoy! 

Chapters:

(1:00) Intro by Gerrit 

(2:37) Giving away too much equity too early – how does it make you feel Sven?

(7:30) Gerrit describes his experience and examples of giving away equity too early 

(9:45) Sven brings in the corporate view point on equity splits 

(10:41) Gerrit dives into external capital 

(11:33) How much equity a university should have at a spin off  

(15:00) Gerrits first venture and equity offers by angels experience  

(17:50) Angels are the real risk takers  

(21:31) Movement more towards the US regarding equity? 

(25:00) Convertible loans are an amazing tool 

(25:25) There are 3 main economic levers 

(26:50) Sven, what do you recommend when collecting tickets to not have a mess?

(28:55) Sven, what are the mistakes you see in the boards of startups? 

(30:13) What makes a good board?

(31:40) Gerrits stories on startup boards 

(25:30) What good investors would do 

(36:50) The moral of the story is a good board 

(38:30) Sven highlights important decisions to make when creating your board 

(40:40) Do you Sven, as a lawyer see yourself as a helping hand there? 

(43:00) Gerrit’s advice to how to treat investors coming into your startup 

(46:30) Sven, what do you say when people come and ask if they should get an investor even if there are many red flags? 

(50:00) Desperate companies suffer from poor investors 

(53:41) What happens when you take money from someone you wish you hadn’t?

(55:37) Lack of stakeholder management when negotiating financing management 

(59:40) Sven, how do you do a rolling close?  

(1:01:10) Gerrit, have you fallen into the trap of being a bit too arrogant when you give money? 

(1:05:00) A lot of learning is done by doing 

(1:07:00) Thank you for listening!