Funding (and a share of your idea)

One of the interesting parts of Shark Tank is the negotiation bit where entrepreneurs need to decide how much equity they will give up. Up until that point, it has been about selling an idea. Now it's time to give a piece of that idea away. Interestingly, some people walk away when the terms of the deal aren't favourable to them. They value their idea more than equity.

Sure, funding makes big news. It probably also makes it look like the thing to be doing for your business.

It's not easy to share an idea. You've thought about it, honed it and given a part of yourself for it. Funding isn't just about someone helping you scale your idea. They'll also have the powers to meddle, give you feedback, ask you to do things you might not agree with. All of which is hard to see when you set out to get funding.

The compromises that come with funding seldom get the press when compared to the funding itself.