Founders and investors like to tell themselves they're on the same team, and they can be – but it takes work.

In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Liz Zalman, a veteran founder with over 20 years of startup experience, for an in-depth chat about the real dynamics of the founder-investor relationship. Liz is also co-author (alongside VC Jerry Neumann) of 'Founder Vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO’, one of Yaniv's favorite books on startups.

From re-vesting demands to acquisition offers that investors won't approve, Liz brings hard-won, unfiltered perspective to some of the most uncomfortable moments a founder will face.

In this episode, you will:

Understand what re-vesting actually is, and the smartest way to respond when investors ask for it.
Learn why taking a single dollar of venture capital puts you on a specific, irreversible path.
Discover how to negotiate a term sheet from a position of strength, even when you're exhausted and desperate to close.
Find out when and how founders can take money off the table – and why most quality investors support founders to have stability in their personal finances.
Learn how Liz stress-tests potential investors while negotiating terms.
Understand the real difference between valuation and control.
Hear why listening is the single most underrated skill in a founder's toolkit.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Founder vs. Investor (book) by Elizabeth Zalman & Jerry Neumann, the book discussed throughout this episode: https://www.foundervsinvestor.com
Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson, referenced by Yaniv as "the bible of venture capital": https://www.venturedeals.com
Sandgarden, Liz's current startup: https://www.sandgarden.com
Liz Zalman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethzalman

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Key links

This episode of the Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta.

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The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/#Investors #Startups #TechStartups #Founder #TechBusiness #TheStartupPodcast

Making the most of the founder/investor dynamic (w/ Liz Zalman, author of 'Founder vs Investor')

The Startup Podcast