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Entrepreneurship & Startups vocabulary · Founders & Team

Advisor

Meaning in entrepreneurship & startups, with examples

/ədˈvaɪzər/nounCommon term

In entrepreneurship & startups, advisor means: An experienced person who gives a startup regular advice and introductions, often in exchange for a small amount of equity rather than a salary.

In Turkish: danışman, kurul danışmanı

How it is used

Startups often list advisors in their pitch deck to show expertise. An advisory board is a group of advisors with no legal power, unlike the board of directors. Advisor equity is usually small and vests over time. Both spellings, advisor and adviser, are correct.

Example sentences

  1. Our advisor, a former hospital director, introduced us to our first three clients.

  2. We offered the advisor 0.25 percent equity, vesting over two years.

Common collocations

  • advisory board
  • startup advisor
  • advisor equity
  • bring on an advisor
  • mentorAn experienced person who gives a founder advice, feedback and support over time, usually without being paid, based on their own business experience.
  • board of directorsA group of people elected to oversee a company's management and make major decisions, such as approving budgets, fundraising, key hires and the sale of the company.
  • equityOwnership in a company, divided into shares. In startups, equity is what founders, employees and investors hold, and its value grows if the company succeeds.
  • vestingA system in which founders or employees earn their shares or options gradually over time, so that someone who leaves early does not keep everything.

More terms: Founders & Team

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