Founders aur investors formal Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) sign karte hain, jahan company ka power map likha hota hai – kaun kya decide karega, kaun kitna exit karega, aur disputes kaise resolve honge.
Key clauses:
- Board composition, reserved matters, veto rights,
- Anti-dilution protections, pre-emptive rights,
- Tag-along (minority ko exit ka right jab majority shares beche),
- Drag-along (majority jab full sale kare, toh minority ko bhi sell karna pade),
- Lock-in periods, information rights, exit timelines.
Founders ko har clause ka long-term effect samajhna chahiye; sirf valuation aur cheque size dekhna short-sighted hai. Investor ko bhi over-controlling behavior avoid karna chahiye, warna founder motivation drop ho sakta hai.
SHA practically startup ka “constitution” ban jata hai, isliye generic template se kaam chalana rarely smart move hota hai.
