by Ekrem Duman | Jun 16, 2026 | Legal for Startups, Startup
⚡ TL;DRMost startup legal problems are cheap to prevent and expensive to fix. Getting a handful of basics right early, the right legal entity, a written founder agreement with vesting, clear ownership of intellectual property, and sound contracts, protects the company...
by Ekrem Duman | Jun 15, 2026 | Fundraising, Startup
⚡ TL;DRSAFEs and convertible notes let startups raise early-stage money quickly without agreeing a valuation up front, deferring that question to a later priced round. They are simple and founder-friendly, but the valuation caps and discounts they carry determine how...
by Ekrem Duman | Jun 15, 2026 | Fundraising, Startup
⚡ TL;DRStartup fundraising progresses through recognisable stages, pre-seed, seed, and Series A and beyond, each with a different purpose and a different bar to clear. Founders raise money to reach the next meaningful milestone, not for its own sake, and understanding...
by Ekrem Duman | Jun 15, 2026 | Equity & Cap Table, Startup
⚡ TL;DREmployee stock options let a cash-strapped startup attract and retain talent by offering a share in future upside. Founders need to understand option pools, strike prices, vesting, and exercise to design grants that genuinely motivate, and to explain them...
by Ekrem Duman | Jun 15, 2026 | Equity & Cap Table, Startup
⚡ TL;DRHow co-founders split equity and whether that equity vests are among the most consequential early decisions a startup makes. A thoughtful split reflects contribution and commitment rather than reflexive equality, and vesting, which makes equity earned over...
by Ekrem Duman | Jun 15, 2026 | Equity & Cap Table, Startup
⚡ TL;DRA capitalization table is the master record of who owns how much of a company. Founders who understand shares, ownership percentages, dilution, and option pools, and who keep an accurate cap table from the start, avoid the painful surprises and disputes that...
