Clear, practical guidance on SAFEs, convertible notes, cap tables, and everything else first-time founders need to close a round without getting burned.
Most founders sign their SAFE in under 10 minutes. They check the cap, skip the rest. That's how MFN clauses, pro-rata traps, and bad amendment provisions end up on your cap table. This 10-point checklist walks through every provision you need to review — with red flags and benchmarks for each — before you countersign.
Read the checklistThe valuation cap is the single most consequential number in your SAFE — and most founders accept the investor's first number without understanding the dilution math. This guide covers real cap benchmarks by stage, five negotiation tactics that work, and the red flags that signal a non-standard deal before you sign.
Read the full guideAn investor sends you a term sheet. One says "SAFE," another says "Convertible Note." They look similar — both let you take money now and give equity later — but they work very differently. Here's the complete breakdown: how each instrument works, when to use which, the math behind dilution, and the six mistakes that cost founders equity every year.
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