Before The Bestseller BTB63: Negotiate Like a CEO | Jotham Stein
Apr 24, 2023
Jotham Stein, a lawyer and author who helps entrepreneurs and executives with contracts and equity. He discusses protecting founders and employees in offer letters, choosing where to incorporate, common contract pitfalls, and how to bounce back after being fired. Short, practical conversations about negotiating protections and recognizing legal risks.
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Protection Is Pragmatic Not Pessimistic
- Write contracts with the expectation things will go wrong, not as a vote of no confidence.
- Jotham Stein frames protective clauses as pragmatic CEO behavior, not pessimism, to normalize asking for safeguards upfront.
CEOs Always Negotiate Their Exit
- CEOs negotiate protection and exit terms before running a company rather than relying on hope alone.
- Jotham Stein explains the book teaches readers the common potholes investors and companies create and how to protect against them.
Include Protections In Your Offer Letter
- Negotiate protection into your offer letter, not just salary and benefits.
- Ask for severance, COBRA coverage, and equity protections like forward vesting or repurchase limits when you have any leverage.
