grayhair

Definition

An experienced executive or advisor brought into a startup to add operational credibility and grown-up supervision to a young founding team. Think adult daycare, but for unicorn hopefuls.

Example Usage

The board insisted on hiring a grayhair CFO before approving the Series C round.

Origin

Silicon Valley slang from the 1990s, self-explanatory reference to older executives

Fun Fact

Grayhairs often clash with founders over speed versus process, creating the classic 'move fast and break things' versus 'let's not break compliance laws' tension.

Source: Startup team building and governance terminology

Related Terms

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discount rate

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captive VC

A venture capital fund owned and operated by a larger corporation to invest in strategically relevant startups. They bring money and potential acquisition interest, but everyone knows who they're really working for.

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qualified small business stock

IRS tax designation (Section 1202) that can exclude up to $10 million in gains from federal taxes for early startup investors, assuming you navigate the Byzantine requirements. The tax break that makes angel investing slightly less insane.

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spray and pray

An investment strategy of making many small bets across countless startups, hoping a few will hit big enough to compensate for the inevitable carnage. The venture capital equivalent of buying lottery tickets in bulk.

🚀 Startup / VC

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Stealth Mode

When a startup operates in secrecy to avoid competitors copying their idea, which assumes competitors would care about the idea in the first place. It's the startup equivalent of whispering at a party where nobody is listening.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

conviction

A VC's strong belief in an investment thesis despite contrary evidence or market skepticism. The confidence to write a check when everyone else thinks you're insane—sometimes brilliance, often delusion.

🚀 Startup / VC

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