Unless you are a co-founder, You are not allowed to get an allocation or preferred shares at a lower valuation than the VCs who want a large piece of your startup at the lowest valuation possible.
This game is not meant for you to beat them. In all cases you have to lose for them to win and to prevent that scenario it’s an acquisition, IPO or return the money or buy them out.
The unwritten rule is simple:
Unless you are a co-founder, You are not allowed to get an allocation or preferred shares at a lower valuation than the VCs who want a large piece of your startup at the lowest valuation possible.
This game is not meant for you to beat them. In all cases you have to lose for them to win and to prevent that scenario it’s an acquisition, IPO or return the money or buy them out.
Losing their money is not an option.