There is no fixed rule, but the amount most boards are comfortable with is small: often something like 5 to 15 percent of a founder's holding, or just enough to cover a specific goal (a home, clearing a loan, a safety cushion) rather than a change of lifestyle. The test investors quietly apply is whether you still have far more to gain from the company winning than from the cash in hand. A modest sale that leaves you highly aligned reads as sensible de-risking. A large one reads as a founder heading for the door. Frame the ask around a number and a reason, not a percentage in the abstract.
A curated summary to orient you, not advice. The resources below are the real value.
2 hand-picked resources, 1 India-specific, 1 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
Why we picked it A calm explainer of what a secondary actually is, who has to approve it, and how the price gets set, before you raise it with your board.
From Carta by Carta
Open carta.com →Why we picked it The free, India-first grounding in what to do with cash once you have it: goals, allocation, SIPs, and not losing it to fees.
From Zerodha Varsity by Zerodha Varsity
Open zerodha.com →The same ground, over in Raise money, our Starting Up track.
