Finance
⏳The 12-Year IPO Marathon: Why Founders Need a Long-Term Playbook
The Rundown: It takes a staggering 12 years to IPO, plus 2-3 more for VCs to see liquidity, leaving founders with only ~4% annual selling capacity.
The details:
- ●Founders can typically sell only ~4% of their shares per year, per SaaStr.
- ●VCs need an additional 2–3 years after the IPO to get liquid.
- ●The full journey from founding to liquidity stretches roughly 14–15 years.
Why it matters: Founders and investors must align on a 10+ year horizon from day one. This impacts fundraising strategy, hiring plans, and exit expectations. Building a company that can sustain momentum for over a decade is the real game.
📰 Source: SaaStr