Honestly, this topic can take years to get a handle on. Worse, often “norms” and the meaning of words change from year to year or situation to situation.
When you’re doing fundraising, you’re working with people who speak this language and make these deals every day. They can easily balance the pros/cons of various strategies and deal points instantly; meanwhile, the Founder is trying to remember what the words even mean, let alone how they interact with everything else.
It’s best to read entire books on the subject, to be honest, but even then you’ll be at a major disadvantage.
Really, the best thing you can do is have a mentor/advisor that can help you through the deal. Someone who also deals with it frequently, but is on “your side” of the table.
