break-up

Definition

The messy dissolution of a startup partnership, romantic relationship, or team dynamic—often marked by awkward equity discussions, passive-aggressive Slack messages, and lawyers getting involved.

Example Usage

The break-up between the co-founders was so contentious they had to hire a mediator to divide the company assets.

Source: Common colloquial usage; applicable to startup culture

Related Terms

Intermediate

optionality

Keeping multiple strategic paths open while committing to none, often praised as strategic flexibility or criticized as inability to make decisions. The business equivalent of dating multiple people because you're 'keeping your options open.'

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

pro rata

The right to maintain one's ownership percentage in subsequent funding rounds by investing additional capital proportionally. The 'I called dibs' clause of venture capital.

🚀 Startup / VC

Beginner

zombie startup

A company that's neither thriving nor dying—generating just enough revenue to shuffle forward indefinitely but lacking the growth to succeed or the decency to fail completely. The undead of the startup ecosystem.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

power law

The mathematical reality that in venture capital, one or two investments generate nearly all the returns while the rest are mediocre or dead. Why VCs can lose money on 90% of their portfolio and still return 3x the fund.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

tourist investor

A venture capitalist or firm that sporadically invests in startups outside their expertise or thesis, usually during hype cycles. They show up for the party, leave before cleanup, and wonder why founders don't return their calls.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

follow-on investment

Additional money invested in a portfolio company after the initial round—either because things are going great and you want more ownership, or things are terrible and you're protecting your original investment. Hope and desperation look surprisingly similar.

🚀 Startup / VC

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