Produced by W2D1 Media. Work with us →
Day One
ShowsTopic GuidesGlossaryQuotesAskSponsorsSearch Join the community
← Glossary
Cap Table & Equity

Common shares

Also: Ordinary shares

The plain shares founders and employees hold, last in line behind preferred in a payout.

Why it matters

Because common sits behind preferences, the headline valuation rarely equals what common holders actually receive in a modest exit.

Hear it from people who've done it

Get the real-world version of "Common shares" drawn from hundreds of conversations with founders and investors.

Ask the Network →
Go deeper

Episodes on Venture Capital

M&A Is a Muscle: Alex Feldman on Buying & Selling in Chaos

First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter · 17 June 2026

M&A Is a Muscle: Alex Feldman on Buying & Selling in Chaos
Taryn Pieterse of Rampersand — How a VC backs early-stage founders

Investment Thesis with Kali Norman · 12 June 2026

Taryn Pieterse of Rampersand — How a VC backs early-stage founders
Episode Five: Dan Coughlan's Investment Thesis

Investment Thesis with Kali Norman · 29 May 2026

Episode Five: Dan Coughlan's Investment Thesis
All Venture Capital episodes →
Related terms

Preferred shares

The share class investors usually take, with extra rights over ordinary shares — preferences, votes, protections.

Liquidation preference

The rule that decides who gets paid first, and how much, when the company is sold.

← Back to the full glossary

Produced by W2D1 Media

Want a show like this for your fund or company?

We're W2D1 Media — the team behind the Day One Network and Blackbird's Wild Hearts. We turn podcasts into trust, authority and pipeline.

Book a call →
—