One-twentieth! Zhao Shao mulled over the words.
He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before making a decision. "Ah Zhu," he asked, "let's be frank. How much equity are you looking for?"
"What's the maximum amount of equity you're willing to give?" Chu Bamboo asked in return.
Zhao Shao stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the scene outside. People bustled along the streets below. His brow furrowed tighter and tighter. He opened his mouth to speak several times, only to close it again. Finally, with a hint of dejection, he said, "I don't know."
"?"
"For anyone else, the absolute maximum I'd be willing to give is twenty percent! Giving one person too much equity is too dangerous for me," Zhao Shao said with utmost sincerity. "After all, my company has only been open for a short while."
Cautiously holding onto equity in the early stages is an essential lesson for any entrepreneur.
