I first invested in Monzo 9 years ago and would very much appreciate the opportunity to cash in some of my shares. Other businesses see ways to do this, how about some Monzo creative thinking and action.
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Not sure this needed a new thread. Thereâs already one around IPOs here
Also that isnât how it works.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Post-Liquidity Event - IPO, Secondaries, buyouts⌠etc
Since startups have been taking longer and longer to IPO, a lot of startups have started allowing early investors and employees to cash out in secondary sales. It would be great if Monzo started doing the same.
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Iâm almost certain they have.
Employees have had the opportunity:
Investors havenât yet.
I knew Iâd not imagined that. I personally donât think crowdfunding investors ever will.
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Yes, current employees had the opportunity to sell, however, not former employees. I think also some of the other early investors were able to sell, just not the crowdfunding investors. Itâs honestly not a great look and a bad way of Monzoâs leadership team to treat its early backers, be that crowdfunding investors or early employees, in a worse way than some other shareholders.
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But thatâs just not how it works. Just because I (havenât) worked for Monzo in the âgood ol daysâ of Tom and Jonas, should I now, years later, expect to be offered a better or similar deal than someone who walks around with a âI love TS Anilâ T-shirt on now?
Business is business. Once those at the very top have made the money they want, the very next deal will be for those who help them make the money. Then anything else is whatever it is.
Itâs soft thinking to think otherwise. And if anyone canât understand it, they really shouldnât have invested in the first place, crowdfunding or otherwise.
I understand where youâre coming fromâcorporate and financial sectors often operate with a zero-sum mentality, but startups typically thrive on a positive-sum, pay-it-forward attitude toward early supporters.
When a leadership team disregards the people who helped them succeedâwhether early employees or crowdfundersâit risks damaging the companyâs reputation and making it harder to recruit talented employees and investors in the future. People notice how a company treats its earliest believers.
I respect that you may disagree, and thatâs perfectly fine. What I mostly object to is the framing on this message board that early crowdfunding investors should have expected poor treatment and should just keep quiet if they feel overlooked nine years later. Itâs not only disheartening to see those concerns dismissed on the message board as ânaive,â but it also goes against the cooperative spirit that has made Monzo successful. Iâm not suggesting everything is sunshine and rainbowsâonly that long-term success often depends on treating your earliest supporters as partners rather than expendable resources.
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Very well said, thank you.