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The mechanics

How deals actually get done

Term sheets, negotiations, valuations and the awkward conversations — the shows that discuss the transaction rather than the company.

Very little podcast content covers the deal itself. There is a great deal about companies and a great deal about markets, and comparatively little about the negotiation in between — which is the part an angel actually participates in.

These are the shows that get closest to it. None is exclusively about deal mechanics, and between them they cover the negotiation from both sides of the table, which is more than you will find anywhere else in audio.

  1. 01
    The Pitch

    Narrative · Josh & Lisa Muccio

    Negotiations recorded as they happen, including valuation conversations and the moments where a founder loses the room.

  2. 02
    20VC

    Interview · Harry Stebbings

    The institutional side, in institutional language. What a lead is optimising for, and why it is not what you are optimising for.

  3. 03
    This Week in Startups

    News · Jason Calacanis

    A working angel thinking out loud about specific deals — what he would pay, what he would ask, why he would pass.

  4. 04
    Y Combinator's channel & Startup School

    Craft & teaching

    The founder-side fundraising material, so you know exactly what advice the person across the table has been given.

  5. 05
    BG2

    Panel · Bill Gurley & Brad Gerstner

    For the cycle. Deal terms are a function of how much capital is available, and this is where that gets discussed properly.

How deals actually get done: common questions

Why is there so little podcast content about deal mechanics?
Because it is unglamorous and because the people who understand it best are negotiating rather than broadcasting. This collection gets as close as audio does; for the terms themselves, written references are more reliable.
Which single show teaches the most about negotiation?
The Pitch, because it records real negotiations rather than describing them — including valuation conversations and the moments where a founder loses the room.