Praise for Venture Debt Deals
“Founders often underestimate the role debt can play in shaping outcomes for a company. Marshall combines two decades of hard-earned lessons into a book that gives entrepreneurs the context they need to make smarter decisions about when—and when not—to use debt.”
— Brad Feld, Co-Founder of Foundry Group and Techstars, author of Venture Deals and Startup Communities
“There is only one regrettable thing about Marshall Hawks new book: The fact that millions of people every year don’t raise venture debt. It not only excels at giving you clear, no-nonsense, actionable advice, helping you avoid the pitfalls way too many founders fall into with venture debt, but it does it with an engaging, funny, banker-next-door vibe. You immediately trust that Marshall has your back; and as a friend of his and a founder who has raised venture debt before, he does. The case studies in this book alone are worth the price of admission, showing that Marshall has truly had a front row seat to some of Silicon Valley’s wildest and most profitable times. This is a rare tactical business book that’s almost impossible to put down, because it’s also an incredible read.”
— Sarah Lacy, Co-Founder of Bestbookstore.com, Founder of Pando.com and author of three books. (A Uterus Is a Feature Not a Bug; Brilliant, Crazy, Cocky; Once Your Lucky, Twice Your Good).
“Our firm seeded Twitch (back when it was Justin.tv). Marshall and SVB took a chance on the company when no one else would, and that support helped lead to the exit with Amazon. He brings the same judgment and clarity to this book.”
— Stewart Alsop, Founding Partner of Alsop Louie Partners
“As a CEO, I’ve raised venture debt and seen how powerful it can be when used well—and how risky if misunderstood. Marshall’s book is the first to truly level the playing field for founders by explaining both the opportunities and the pitfalls in plain language.”
— Matt Blumberg, CEO of Markup AI, former Founder & CEO of Return Path and Bolster, author of Startup CEO, Startup CXO and Startup Boards
Until Marshall Hawks’ book, venture debt was a dark art. Now entrepreneurs and venture capitalists alike have the benefit of Marshall’s decades of experience and insight. I wish I had this book when I was starting out!
-David Hornik, General Partner at Lobby Capital