Hello, I’ve recently purchased your software and so far so good. But are there any lawyers in the UK or Greece who can help me get this legally binding?
Hi Mike,
Still trying to locate attorney in Canada to help with paperwork. Nearing launch date. This is second request. Thanks, Dan with Tea Journey http://www.teajourney.pub
Hi Mike, really love your work and think it can very equitably deal with changes in contributions. One thing that I keep wondering though is whether it should not also include a “interest” component. People who put money or time in early should be compensated for their patience to get to a return more than people who put something in just before profitability is reached. What are your thoughts on adding an interest component to each weeks calculation where the current balance of all slices receive an additional percentage amount? That way early contributions are valued proportionally higher the more patient they are. Or is that already compensated through the bigger slices they get in the beginning?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Alexander
Unless it’s a loan, interest is generally not customary. In the Slicing Pie model contributions are weighted using a multiplier. I recommend 4x for cash and 2x for non-cash. This normalizes the contributions and accounts for the time value of money (interest), taxes (cash is post-tax) and scarcity, It’s all built into the model.
I don’t quite get it. Imagine that I put in $100,000 to buy machinery at the start (as that was cash, we’d value it as $400,000). Then over the course of a year we manage to pay all employees at market rates through an additional $100,000 that someone else puts in (so their total slice is worth $400,000 as well). And then we need a last investment of $100,000 for another machine to be profitable. It is put in by a third person 12 months after starting the business. Now we all own 33% even though my initial investment had been at risk for 12 months and the last person’s money for only a day.
Wouldn’t it be fairer to calculate a monthly “interest rate” for each slice to account for the fact that my money had been at risk longer? Each portion of interest could be added to the calculation of the slice.
Or would that be double dipping?
Thank you
Alexander
Equity investments generally don’t accrue interest. Even if they did, the 4x multiplier far exceeds any logical interest rate so the increase is essentially a rounding error.
As a practice, by the way, you should consider financing equipment rather than pay cash. This would help you reduce the number of slices in the pie.
@mikemoyer:disqus Thank you so much for your great book. I really really enjoy it. We’re starting a JSC company now and we want to make founders be the decision makers (at least for 2 years ahead). How we can achieve that with Grunt Fund?
Hi Mike, Thank you so much for this great book of yours. Its my first time getting into the equity thing and cant explain how easy i felt after reading this book. I asked my partner to read it too so that we both can talk in same language. it makes so much sense and the best part is the more effort you put the more output you get. And thanks a lot for sharing a free copy of the full book as there was no way i could have got it in time otherwise. I was planning to contact a lawyer who would help me in getting this together in legal terms.
Mike: I referred a team I am mentoring to you for a call regarding a complicated agreement with a university. The founder said he has submitted a request using the request a call box to the right but did not get a response. I just wanted to make sure that the function was working on the website. Please let me know how I can make sure we all get on the phone soon. Thanks.
Hello Mike, a friend turned me onto your slicing pie book and I read it 3 day. Phenominal and solves big problems for me and every startup I’m sure. I’m implementing it right now into two of my ventures with partners. I went to purchase the LLC Agreement on your site and I got the attached message, figured you should know right away, hopefully I’m the only person this bug is happening to. I live in Indonesia so maybe that’s why.
I recently started a festival business with a partner. It didn’t go well and my partner and myself lost $50,000 after year 1. He wants to leave the business for no good reason (quadrant D in your book) but he does not want to take care of the debt which I have agreed to take over. How should that debt be valued? At 4x like the rest of cash? Also, how do you value someone’s remaining equity if the business is in debt ($50,000)? Let’s say they have 7% equity after they forgo their hours, how would we fix a value to that?
Hi Mike. The book was really helpful to talk with my potential co-founder to how to split the equity. I am about to incorporate Delaware C Corp. Looking at the “Lawyers & Contracts”, there seems to be only template for LLC regarding operating agreement. Is there any template for Delaware C Corp? Since my company is a typical tech company in Silicon Valley, I do need to set up my company with that form.
Thanks Mike for the response. I’ll buy it and contactto him. Let me confirm for safety sake. Does the Vesting Agreement alone covers everything that I need? In other words, does the agreement sufficiently help me to implement the slicing pie model as described in the book?
I’m kind of working backwards, what I tend to do is I buy what I like and then try to understand what it is later haha.
I found this site through Reddit because right out from the start of incorporating I felt concerned about how to split the business ownership’s with the least amount of drama as possible.
I looked at your SaaS and liked it so much I just bought it for all of us. But I realize I have no idea what this is all about, so I also bought the two books (Slicing Pie, Slicing Pie Handbook)
My question, is there a difference between those two books I listed? Is there a book I should read first?
Hi Mike, I haven’t read your book yet but completely understand where it comes from having started up 7 tech companies during my 33 year career as an entrepreneur. This time around I decided to keep it real and over the last 9 years developed a line of products which we manufacture locally and export across Canada and into the USA. With revenues now in the 1-2M range I am ready to start attracting equity partners to help me sustain the growth needed to get to the next level. I’m not sure the pie slicing model is appropriate since it appears my pie is baked since we have revenues, profits and salaries are being paid. Do you have an suggestions as what model I might use which allows potential partners to participate for say 6-12 months before deciding on whether to make them equity partners?
You can allow people to buy in based on a 409A valuation. Equity should represent an investment so ask them to invest all or part of their salary or bonus.
Slicing Pie is used before the company can be valued and everything is at-risk,
-Mike
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[…] let’s say that you email me and we work together to bring the idea to life. I deserve a reward in proportion to what I actually […]
Hello, I’ve recently purchased your software and so far so good. But are there any lawyers in the UK or Greece who can help me get this legally binding?
Yes, please contact me through http://slicingpie.com/contact/ and I’ll put you in touch with some great attornies in the UK.
Hi Mike,
Still trying to locate attorney in Canada to help with paperwork. Nearing launch date. This is second request. Thanks, Dan with Tea Journey http://www.teajourney.pub
Contact Cindy Ho from dsavocats.ca!
Thanks Mike. Our magazine launches in a few months, the slices are working their magic. Warm regards, Dan
Great to hear! Thanks for the follow-up!
Hi Mike, really love your work and think it can very equitably deal with changes in contributions. One thing that I keep wondering though is whether it should not also include a “interest” component. People who put money or time in early should be compensated for their patience to get to a return more than people who put something in just before profitability is reached. What are your thoughts on adding an interest component to each weeks calculation where the current balance of all slices receive an additional percentage amount? That way early contributions are valued proportionally higher the more patient they are. Or is that already compensated through the bigger slices they get in the beginning?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Alexander
Unless it’s a loan, interest is generally not customary. In the Slicing Pie model contributions are weighted using a multiplier. I recommend 4x for cash and 2x for non-cash. This normalizes the contributions and accounts for the time value of money (interest), taxes (cash is post-tax) and scarcity, It’s all built into the model.
I don’t quite get it. Imagine that I put in $100,000 to buy machinery at the start (as that was cash, we’d value it as $400,000). Then over the course of a year we manage to pay all employees at market rates through an additional $100,000 that someone else puts in (so their total slice is worth $400,000 as well). And then we need a last investment of $100,000 for another machine to be profitable. It is put in by a third person 12 months after starting the business. Now we all own 33% even though my initial investment had been at risk for 12 months and the last person’s money for only a day.
Wouldn’t it be fairer to calculate a monthly “interest rate” for each slice to account for the fact that my money had been at risk longer? Each portion of interest could be added to the calculation of the slice.
Or would that be double dipping?
Thank you
Alexander
Equity investments generally don’t accrue interest. Even if they did, the 4x multiplier far exceeds any logical interest rate so the increase is essentially a rounding error.
As a practice, by the way, you should consider financing equipment rather than pay cash. This would help you reduce the number of slices in the pie.
Here is an article that might help shed more light: http://slicingpie.com/the-magic-of-mutipliers/
@mikemoyer:disqus Thank you so much for your great book. I really really enjoy it. We’re starting a JSC company now and we want to make founders be the decision makers (at least for 2 years ahead). How we can achieve that with Grunt Fund?
You can set this up a number of ways using restricted shares or profit interests. Here are some lawyers who can help: http://slicingpie.com/silcing-pie-friendly-lawyers/
Hi Mike, Thank you so much for this great book of yours. Its my first time getting into the equity thing and cant explain how easy i felt after reading this book. I asked my partner to read it too so that we both can talk in same language. it makes so much sense and the best part is the more effort you put the more output you get. And thanks a lot for sharing a free copy of the full book as there was no way i could have got it in time otherwise. I was planning to contact a lawyer who would help me in getting this together in legal terms.
Great! You can find some lawyers here: http://slicingpie.com/silcing-pie-friendly-lawyers/
Mike: I referred a team I am mentoring to you for a call regarding a complicated agreement with a university. The founder said he has submitted a request using the request a call box to the right but did not get a response. I just wanted to make sure that the function was working on the website. Please let me know how I can make sure we all get on the phone soon. Thanks.
Hi Mike. Great read. Do you know of any lawyers in Switzerland that could help with setting up a grunt fund scheme? Thanks
Yes! Please use the contact form above and I’ll make an introduction!
Hi Mike, I did, but no reply… Cheers
Will you try again? I don’t see your email….
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0820b727832d7b913924962b11c98d5c048caf5ea566679bf9e2f165c1d76fc5.jpg
Hello Mike, a friend turned me onto your slicing pie book and I read it 3 day. Phenominal and solves big problems for me and every startup I’m sure. I’m implementing it right now into two of my ventures with partners. I went to purchase the LLC Agreement on your site and I got the attached message, figured you should know right away, hopefully I’m the only person this bug is happening to. I live in Indonesia so maybe that’s why.
Hi Mike,
I recently started a festival business with a partner. It didn’t go well and my partner and myself lost $50,000 after year 1. He wants to leave the business for no good reason (quadrant D in your book) but he does not want to take care of the debt which I have agreed to take over. How should that debt be valued? At 4x like the rest of cash? Also, how do you value someone’s remaining equity if the business is in debt ($50,000)? Let’s say they have 7% equity after they forgo their hours, how would we fix a value to that?
Hi Mike. The book was really helpful to talk with my potential co-founder to how to split the equity. I am about to incorporate Delaware C Corp. Looking at the “Lawyers & Contracts”, there seems to be only template for LLC regarding operating agreement. Is there any template for Delaware C Corp? Since my company is a typical tech company in Silicon Valley, I do need to set up my company with that form.
Buy the vesting Agreement by Roger Royse. He is based in SF
Thanks Mike for the response. I’ll buy it and contactto him. Let me confirm for safety sake. Does the Vesting Agreement alone covers everything that I need? In other words, does the agreement sufficiently help me to implement the slicing pie model as described in the book?
Contact me via the contact form above…
OK, thanks for the arrangement. Will do.
I’m kind of working backwards, what I tend to do is I buy what I like and then try to understand what it is later haha.
I found this site through Reddit because right out from the start of incorporating I felt concerned about how to split the business ownership’s with the least amount of drama as possible.
I looked at your SaaS and liked it so much I just bought it for all of us. But I realize I have no idea what this is all about, so I also bought the two books (Slicing Pie, Slicing Pie Handbook)
My question, is there a difference between those two books I listed? Is there a book I should read first?
Same model, The Slicing Pie Handbook is newer/better…
Thanks for reading!
Hi Mike,
Do I need to buy Slicing Pie version 2.3 if I have already bought Slicing Pie Handbook? Thanks in advance for letting me know.
Hello Mike, does your system work for real estate syndicators?
Yes, but you would need to separate the Pie from cash financing. Contact me at mike at slicingpie,com to learn more…
“Like I mentioned earlier, I wrote a book on this topic and you can have a copy if you contact me through SlicingPie.com” I came for the book.
Contact me at mike at slicingpie,com
Hi Mike, I haven’t read your book yet but completely understand where it comes from having started up 7 tech companies during my 33 year career as an entrepreneur. This time around I decided to keep it real and over the last 9 years developed a line of products which we manufacture locally and export across Canada and into the USA. With revenues now in the 1-2M range I am ready to start attracting equity partners to help me sustain the growth needed to get to the next level. I’m not sure the pie slicing model is appropriate since it appears my pie is baked since we have revenues, profits and salaries are being paid. Do you have an suggestions as what model I might use which allows potential partners to participate for say 6-12 months before deciding on whether to make them equity partners?
Hi Benoit,
You can allow people to buy in based on a 409A valuation. Equity should represent an investment so ask them to invest all or part of their salary or bonus.
Slicing Pie is used before the company can be valued and everything is at-risk,
-Mike