In this episode of Venture Declassified, hosts Mike Kelly, Ben Pidgeon, and Jacob Schpok tackle one of the most overlooked—but most consequential—parts of startup investing: the cap table. From abandoned founder equity to a stack of mismatched SAFEs, the trio share war stories of cap tables that turn into what they like to call a “hot mess”—and why those messes can scare off the very investors a company needs most. Along the way, they unpack the mechanics behind dilution math, op...
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In this episode of Venture Declassified, hosts Mike Kelly, Ben Pidgeon, and Jacob Schpok tackle one of the most overlooked—but most consequential—parts of startup investing: the cap table. From abandoned founder equity to a stack of mismatched SAFEs, the trio share war stories of cap tables that turn into what they like to call a “hot mess”—and why those messes can scare off the very investors a company needs most. Along the way, they unpack the mechanics behind dilution math, op...
The Good, the Bad, and the Risky: Understanding Bridge Rounds
Venture Declassified
21 minutes
2 months ago
The Good, the Bad, and the Risky: Understanding Bridge Rounds
In this episode of Venture Declassified, hosts Mike Kelly, Ben Pidgeon, and Jacob Schpok take a hard look at bridge rounds—what they are, when they make sense, and when they’re really just a disguised recap. The conversation starts with definitions: a bridge round is typically a smaller, short-term raise—often structured as a convertible note or SAFE—intended to extend a company’s runway until the next major milestone. But as the hosts point out, bridges can fall into three very ...
Venture Declassified
In this episode of Venture Declassified, hosts Mike Kelly, Ben Pidgeon, and Jacob Schpok tackle one of the most overlooked—but most consequential—parts of startup investing: the cap table. From abandoned founder equity to a stack of mismatched SAFEs, the trio share war stories of cap tables that turn into what they like to call a “hot mess”—and why those messes can scare off the very investors a company needs most. Along the way, they unpack the mechanics behind dilution math, op...
