The Traditional HQ Is Dead

funding is happening fast

In 2016, the average time lapse between a seed round and Series A was 18.1 months.* Fast forward to 2021, seven of the Top 50 secured their Series A during the making of this content, with an average time lapse of only eight months.

*Sebastian Quintero, “How much runway should you target between financing rounds?” Last modified October 26, 2017.

The talent shortage is real

98% of the Top 50 companies are actively hiring, and their main needs are Engineering and Sales. On the Engineering front, many founders are looking outside the U.S. for this talent.

d.e.i. is more than an internal hiring initiative

Danielle Pensack of Rightfoot educated us on The Diversity Term Sheet Rider for representation at the Cap Table, while Bo Han of Buzzer shared their Strive Initiative, whereby 1% of company equity, 1% of net profits, and 1% of customer-elected transactions will be dedicated to investing in equitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

no hint of ego

In the early days, the CEO is the face and spokesperson of the company. It’s just how it works. But let me assure you, every single one of these CEOs made a staunch point to celebrate his/her co-founders and founding team. I was deeply moved by the lack of ego and authentic team spirit.