The Cliff Vesting Debate Every Founder Must Navigate

Episode 34 of The Series A Show with Fexingo tackles one of the most contentious terms in term sheets: the single-trigger vs. double-trigger cliff vesting debate. Lucas and Luna break down a real-world case study — a B2B SaaS startup that raised a $12 million Series A only to see two co-founders leave within six months, triggering a messy equity reallocation. They walk through how standard four-year vesting with a one-year cliff works, why founders often push for single-trigger acceleration upon acquisition, and what the data from 2025 Q4 shows about investor pushback. The episode also touches on how the recent public market sell-off — with names like Shopify and Palantir down over 10% — is making VCs more cautious on founder-friendly terms. If you're raising a round or sitting on a cap table, this episode gives you the math and the negotiation playbook for one of the least glamorous but most consequential clauses in your deal. #CliffVesting #FounderEquity #TermSheet #SeriesA #StartupLaw #DoubleTrigger #SingleTrigger #VestingSchedule #CapTable #B2BSaaS #Fundraising #EquityDilution #FounderNegotiation #Palantir #Shopify #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo