Carta's Charts Don't Lie: The Series A Sprint Is a Cartel-Designed Death Trap
Peter Walker's latest Carta data reveals a brutal truth: if your startup hasn't raised Series A within 24 months of seed funding, you're essentially dead.
Topic dossier
Founders
Essays, research notes, and operating frameworks filed under Founders.
What Carta's Peter Walker Won't Say, But I Will
The Venture Model Isn't Broken Because Founders Raised Too Much—It's Broken Because 46% of Seed Rounds Are Now Bridge Rounds to Nowhere
A Live Dilution Model Every Software Founder Should Understand Before Fundraising
A founder prepares to raise venture capital—unaware that each round chips away at ownership, control, and future leverage. This case study breaks down a dilution model that reveals the hidden costs behind every funding milestone. Read before you raise.
Assessing Startup Stock Allocation
Startup equity allocation is one of the most consequential decisions founders face. This article introduces a simple spreadsheet tool for founders and venture studio operators to help navigate a tricky subject.
The DNA of Great Founders
Entrepreneurship cannot be taught. The elements of a great founder are like DNA and can, therefore, be mapped.
Vanishing Equity: The Financial Sorcery of Venture Capital
Founders will give up more than 80% of their company over four rounds of venture investment. Venture Capital firms use a suite of finely-tuned instruments to manifest this excessive equity dilution.