July 2026 - Mumbai
The StartUp Legal Playbook
A founder-focused masterclass covering the agreements that shape a founder's journey — from co-founder discussions to fundraising conversations.
3 hours•2 Mentors•Unlimited Learnings
Startups Don't Collapse Because of Bad Ideas. They Collapse Because of Bad Agreements.
The Unprepared Founder
Signs boilerplate agreements without understanding the long-term impact on ownership and control.
- Splits equity 50/50 on day one without vesting schedules or cliff periods
- Doesn't know what happens to founder equity or IP if a co-founder leaves
- Blindly accepts liquidation preferences (1x/2x participating) and loses exit value
- Unaware of anti-dilution traps and aggressive investor board control clauses
- Relies solely on raw AI drafts without understanding hidden legal liabilities
The Legally Empowered Founder
Protects their equity, secures investor deals with confidence, and avoids costly disputes.
- Structures iron-clad Co-Founder Agreements with clear reverse vesting & IP assignment
- Has documented exit mechanisms, deadlock resolution & buyback provisions
- Decodes term sheets like a pro — spots aggressive clauses before signing
- Understands pre vs post-money valuation, ESOP dilution & board dynamics
- Knows exactly when to use AI for drafting and when to consult a specialist lawyer
What you'll Learn
and deliverables
Co-Founder Agreement Architecture: Master equity splits, 4-year vesting with 1-year cliff, IP assignment, and non-compete clauses.
Term Sheet Mastery: Decode liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, information rights, affirmative votes, and board controls.
Valuation & Dilution Traps: Understand pre-money vs post-money valuation mechanics
Common Legal Red Flags: Identify hidden clauses and negotiation traps that cost founders millions
AI in Legal Drafting: Learn safe prompts and boundaries for AI legal drafting
Bonus Takeaway: Exclusive Term Sheet Cheat Sheet covering key clauses, terms, and red flags.
Workshop Breakdown
Three battle-tested workshops designed to take you from zero to launch.
11:30 AM – 2:30 PMSaturday, 11 July 2026
The StartUp Legal Playbook — Masterclass on Agreements, Term Sheets & Legal Pitfalls
by Khushboo Agrawal & Gaurav Bansal · 3 Hours
Term Sheets · Co-Founder Agreements · Liquidation Preference · Equity & Dilution · AI Drafting Risks · Founder Networking
What You'll Learn
- 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM — Foundations of Startup Agreements: Equity split, 4-year reverse vesting, 1-year cliff, and IP assignment
- 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM — Decoding Co-Founder Agreements: Roles, decision deadlocks, non-compete, and founder exit mechanisms
- 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM — Open Q&A: Real-world founder legal dilemmas, when AI helps vs introduces fatal errors
- 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM — Decoding Term Sheets: 1x/2x liquidation preferences, anti-dilution, board rights, and pre/post valuation traps
- 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM — Founder Introductions & Open Networking: Connect with fellow builders and the SETU community
Your Deliverables
- 🎁 Bonus: Term Sheet Cheat Sheet for all attendees
- Co-Founder Agreement framework & essential clause checklist
- Deadlock resolution & founder exit guidelines
- Valuation & Dilution reference cheat sheet
- Direct connections with peer founders & mentors
Registration Closed
Workshop Details
Registrations for this event are now closed.
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
The StartUp Legal Playbook - Masterclass
Saturday, 11 July 2026
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM (IST)
In-person · Spotlight SP, Mumbai
Spotlight Strategic Partners, Unit 1, Floor 3, Building 2, Solitaire Corporate Park, Andheri East, Mumbai, MH 400093
What's Included:
Term Sheets
Co-Founder Agreements
Liquidation Preference
Equity & Dilution
AI Drafting Risks
Founder Networking
Registration Closed
Meet Your Speakers
Startup Lawyer
Khushboo Agrawal
Startup Lawyer | Ex-Trilegal | NALSAR Graduate
Advised leading startups including Swiggy, Shiprocket, and 1% Club on fundraising, term sheets, commercial contracts, and strategic transactions. She specializes in helping founders navigate critical legal decisions without the jargon.
- Ex-Trilegal & NALSAR University of Law Graduate
- Advised Swiggy, Shiprocket, 1% Club & leading ventures
- Expert in Term Sheets, Founder Agreements & Venture Capital transactions
- Focuses on jargon-free, founder-friendly legal execution
Founder & Ecosystem Builder
Gaurav Bansal
Founder, SETU – The Startup School | Startup Mentor
15+ years of experience across startups, e-commerce, banking, and edtech. Ex-Mentor at IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, and IIM Rohtak, with extensive experience in startup growth, strategic partnerships, and founder advisory.
- Founder, SETU – The Startup School
- Former Startup Mentor — IIT Delhi (DMS), IIT Madras, IIM Rohtak & Wadhwani Foundation
- 2X Entrepreneur with 15+ years experience (Just Dial, HDFC Bank, Idea Cellular)
- Advised 100+ early-stage founders on fundraising, legal setup and scaling
Frequently Asked Questions
The StartUp Legal Playbook is an interactive, founder-focused masterclass designed to demystify startup legal essentials — including co-founder agreements, term sheets, dilution, and common legal pitfalls — without confusing legal jargon. Hosted by SETU Startup School with Venue Partner Spotlight SP in Mumbai.
Key topics include: 1) Structuring and evaluating Co-Founder Agreements (equity splits, vesting cliffs, IP assignment, founder exit clauses), 2) Key Term Sheet clauses that affect control and dilution (Liquidation preference, anti-dilution, board rights), 3) Common legal mistakes and red flags founders make, 4) When AI helps with drafting vs when it creates fatal risk, and 5) Founder introductions and peer networking.
All attendees receive an exclusive Term Sheet Cheat Sheet covering key clauses, terms, and red flags founders should know before signing or negotiating with angel investors and VCs.
This masterclass is designed for Startup Founders, Co-Founders, Early-Stage Teams, Student Entrepreneurs, and anyone planning to raise angel or venture capital.
The event takes place at Spotlight Strategic Partners, Unit 1, Floor 3, Building 2, Solitaire Corporate Park, Andheri East, Mumbai, MH 400093.
Not at all. The session is specifically structured for non-lawyer founders, operators, and builders to understand the business and ownership implications of legal documents in plain English.
You can email our events team at events.tss2025@gmail.com or join the SETU The Startup School WhatsApp community.
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