Trusting deep pocketed investors to develop a growth plan, and giving them majority shareholding because the plan looked so good on paper! One year later, they lost interest as the plan would take much longer than they originally anticipated. They abruptly pulled out, leading to a long painful separation process, huge legal bills and a company nearly crippled with debt and lost opportunities.
Lessons learnt:
- develop your own plan, let investors come in, buy into the plan and invest in that plan according to what is realistic and within your capacity. Companies take years to grow to become large significant businesses with good market share. No one can make this happen overnight just because they have money to throw at you.
- Do not give up majority shareholding to another single entity unless you are willing to completely walk away from the company you founded.