Walling: Co-founder vesting without a one-year cliff destroys startup fundability
Rob Walling · Episode 801 | Competing Against Incumbents, Technical Co-Founders... · Oct 7, 2025 · at 31:03
Rob Walling, founder of TinySeed, advises a solo founder asking how to bring on and evaluate a technical co-founder.
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“If you find a co-founder have vesting. Have four-year vesting with a one-year cliff, such that they, you know, if things don't work out after a few months, they don't walk away with a big chunk of your company. We have seen tiny seed applicants that we were unable to fund because a co-founder walked away with 30 to 50% of the company, and it's like, it's unfundable now. You know, we can't fund it, and no one down the line will.”
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