Today, I came across the Technology Startup Law BLOG. The author, Sam Wu, describes the blog as “a down-to-earth legal resource for startups, emerging growth companies and venture capital firms”, and from what I saw, I agree. In addition to discussing the nuts and bolts of forming the entity, the blog discusses other important topics [...]
Being in a leadership position means that you are responsible for looking out for the people under your stewardship. Excelling here is the right thing to do, but can also pay dividends throughout your professional life. That’s the philosophy behind Chris Michel’s extra equity grant to three key senior managers at his company Affinity Labs, [...]
As is often the case in life, open communication is the key for maintaining a constructive relationship. This also applies with the VC and the management of its portfolio companies. A good VC should provide regular guidance, as their experience is an important attribute that they bring to the table. Without open communication between the [...]
For people leading start-up companies, its often all about product development, chasing customers, and raising money. Everything else is considered unnecessary, and left for another day. The author of this article from the Colorado Life Science Deal Flow blog suggests that the first-time CEO should spend some time on things that, while not [...]
At USC, where I am a graduate student, the entrepreneurship professors repeatedly stress the importance of “customer in-hand” before starting a new venture. In fact, one of the core courses requires the student to talk to 50 or more potential customers to force you to find out if the perceived demand is real. [...]
French entrepreneur, Loic Le Meur, lists his 10 rules for start-up success on this TechCrunch posting. I think that Loic is right on the money with all of these. To expand on the list, often times, people looking for an idea try to come up with world-changing concepts, when in reality, the ideas that provide [...]
For a start-up company, being able to partner with an established brand is the ultimate in validating your product, and building credibility. But its not necessarily always a no lose situation. This blog article on the WSJ site describes one particular case of a child-friendly gym partnering with Disney as part of the [...]
Mark Averitt from Okapi Venture Capital has an interesting article on his blog about finders, and the issues with using them. Averitt is based in Orange County, California, so your mileage may vary on whether most finders are registered with the SEC. Still, as Averitt explains, you do have to wonder what finders really bring [...]
Entrepreneurs often get caught up in trying to find a truely original idea. This is especially true for technology/internet entrepreneurs. I often fall into the same trap, as the first thing I do after conceiving of a new product or service is to search Google. If someone has already done it, I move on. Unfortunately, [...]
A Wall Street Journal article about one family’s experience, and advice, on handling the transition of the company to the next generation. Good tips for those who are in a family business.