Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2016

I still generally advise software startups to file a patent as a barrier to entry from competitors and to increase their valuation by investors, but every entrepreneur needs to understand the tradeoffs. The patent application process has become a legal negotiation. Patents can become a commodity for buying and selling.

Patents 53

Patents Software Review Software Technical Advisors 53

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2009

If you never raise another round of venture capital (a big if) and if your company is sold for the normal venture exit ($50 million on average for 200 or so annually that get sold) then what is your stake? Now … these are stock options and not restricted stock so you’ll likely be taxed at a long-term capital gains rate.

Startup 418

Startup Technical Advisors Venture Capital Santa Monica 418

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

I had a picture in the office of my first company with the logo above and the capital letters JFDI. (In I spent nearly a decade building software for large companies and then advising companies on the same. He was stuck on capital raising. This is part of my Startup Advice series. This was such a guy.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Technical Review Slides CTO Coach 414

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2010

More importantly, as a parent or mentor, what should you advise young potential entrepreneurs about getting an MBA? Schwab pioneered first the discount brokerage industry and then online investing, capitalizing on the Internet to build the leading online trading company. He even had to overcome dyslexia as a student.

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Education Social Network 60

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

” It was meant both as a call to those writing angel checks into other people’s companies that they ought to think about putting that capital toward themselves either by becoming a startup founder or (and this was my real point) by taking an under-market salary in a company where they can learn the right skills to do it in the future.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

Most people totally advise against stealth. You always have too much technical debt, too many problems, staff members quitting, not enough capital, customer complaints, etc. They think that only by being open and testing your ideas in an open marketplace can you be successful. Be careful about this advice. You don’t.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I recently filmed a show for This Week in Venture Capital in which I talked about how to prepare for a VC meeting: whom you’ll meet, who should attend from your side, what materials you should bring and how you should run the meeting. I wrote the summary notes in this blog post. That notes only told part of the story.

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2023

In my own experience with technical startup founders, I still find it hard to name one who was also good, or even interested in financials or business operations. A mistake often made by new business owners due to the unfamiliar new workload is to ignore and lose existing relationships with outside advisors as well as team members.

Technical Review 149

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Software Review 149

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 17, 2009

Assuming normal valuations at fund raising rounds you’ll be down to 6-12% after you’ve created a stock-option pool and raised capital. If not, at least find someone really technical that you trust to help act as an adviser to you. Starting with 25% is even harder.

Startup 365

Startup Technical Advisors IP Ideas 365

Frank Addante

JUNE 4, 2006

► August (3) Venture Capital - What's the rush? StrongMail Systems (Digital Messsaging Infrastructure Software) Status: VC-backed (Sequoia Capital, Globespan and Evercore) Lesson: Trust your gut. . Venture Capital Funding 7. I decided that I was going to consult/advise a few companies and relax for a bit.

Startup 40

Startup Venture Capital Email CTO Hire 40

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

It quickly became impossible to raise venture capital. It isn’t even a story about raising venture capital or M&A. Don’t over shop – If the deal you’re involved with involves raising venture capital or selling your company you naturally want some competition. It quickly became impossible to raise venture capital.

Venture Capital 301

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Technical Advisors 301

Frank Addante

MAY 15, 2006

► August (3) Venture Capital - What's the rush? StrongMail Systems (Digital Messsaging Infrastructure Software) Status: VC-backed (Sequoia Capital, Globespan and Evercore) Lesson: Trust your gut. raising capital, underwriters backing out, extreme criticism, patent lawsuit from our competitor, etc.) Zondigo, Inc.

Advertising 40

Advertising Startup Chief Technology Officer Technical Review 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015

Do you know how many people I meet these days who are “packaging up money in SPVs (special purpose vehicles),” or raising syndicates or doing secondaries or advising high-net-worth individuals how to get into unicorns? ” When I asked his area of technical speciality he said, “Oh, no, I’m not technical. .”

Technical Advisors 150

Technical Advisors Startup Writing Blogging 150