BackStartups

7 terms

Price & valuation

What you are paying per share, and the surprisingly large number of ways a headline valuation can mislead you.

Price & valuation: common questions

Is the valuation the most important thing to negotiate?
It is the most important thing an angel can realistically move, because entry price divides directly into every outcome. It is not the most important term overall — share class and the liquidation preference decide more in a modest exit — but those usually belong to the lead.
How do I tell whether a price is fair with no revenue to value?
Work backwards. Write down the exit value you would need for a 10× return after roughly half your percentage is diluted away, then decide whether you can tell a plausible story about the company reaching it. If saying the number out loud sounds absurd, the price is too high.