Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2021

Here are five of the most common examples: Failure to document a Founder agreement at the beginning. Early partners or co-founders often drop out of the picture early due to disagreements, and you forget about them, but they don’t forget about the verbal or email promises you made. If a lawsuit is inevitable, better sooner than later.

Patents 145

Patents Legalzoom Invest Startup 145

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 18, 2018

Email readers, continue here…] Sometimes a secondary fund-raising effort leads to a lower valuation than the last. Investor loyalty is most tenuous of all. I have seen investors allow a company to die, rather than suffer the massive dilution of an offer by a new investor.

Layoffs 240

Layoffs Class News Email 240

Berkonomics

APRIL 12, 2018

Small companies most often scrape by with borrowed or invested funds, doing everything possible to grow and prosper with limited resources. Recognize the realities of the times; and do all possible to protect the company by documenting behavioral or skill related problems to the employee file.

Entrepreneur 226

Entrepreneur Class Resource Email 226

Berkonomics

JUNE 19, 2014

If you seek funds from an organized investment group such as an angel fund, venture capital entity, or even an investment club, the first thing you want to do is to find one person to buy into your vision, become excited by your enthusiasm and be willing to become the internal champion for your fund-raising effort.

Technical Review 207

Technical Review Tech Coast Angels Summary Email 207

Berkonomics

JULY 19, 2010

Once a company founder has tapped the funds available from his or her resources and from friends and family, if the company needs more cash for growth, the most obvious next step is to look for money from angel investors and venture capitalists, typically in the $300,000 TO $3,000,000 range. Email readers continue here.]

Pricing 120

Pricing Invest Startup Sales 120

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

We all know that funding markets have changed for startups. The trends are well understood: more angels, more seed funds, more crowdsourcing and so forth. So I recommend a high-level “state of the company” email a couple of times a year but a message that you assume might get shown to others.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Berkonomics

JULY 23, 2020

Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists, or angels, have put in substantial money and the sales price is less than the value of their investment. Dig into investment agreements for those expensive clauses. There are some questions a distressed sale brings to mind. Conflicts of interest with preferred investors.

Company 156

Company Companies Sales Venture Capital 156

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Several times in my investing life, as the final board member making the arrangements to dispose of remaining assets, I have literally been the one to turn out the lights, carry out the documents, books and records to my car, and become the only remaining contact between the failed business and the investors, bankruptcy court, or creditors.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Training Invest Email 156

Berkonomics

AUGUST 13, 2020

Investors learn too, and often invest in a failed entrepreneur a second time if believing that those lessons have been well learned, Success can teach lessons too. Email readers, continue here…] Questions you should ask include: “What were the major factors contributing to the failure?” “How Yes, it works both ways.

Startup 156

Startup Entrepreneur Venture Capital Course 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2022

Don’t you wish that someone had prepped you on how to read the body language, interpret office gossip, and when to hit the delete key on your email rather than the send key? Business Email and Texting. In school, you're taught to stretch weak ideas to reach your document page limit. Business Dress for Success.

Class 140

Class Course Email Social Network 140

Berkonomics

MARCH 17, 2018

Email readers, continue here…] Recently, insurance companies have added employee practice liability insurance (EPLI) to the package to address specifically the recently-increasing risk of employees suing for redress. So, add another $3 to $4 thousand to the policy cost.

Resource 243

Resource Email Services Entrepreneur 243

Berkonomics

APRIL 6, 2012

Some businesses just can’t fit within the angel capital or friends and family model for raising funds. Sooner or later these businesses will have to seek venture capital and accommodate the needs of the venture community in negotiating the terms of an investment. Email readers, continue here.]

Venture Capital 198

Venture Capital Invest Pricing Class 198

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are so passionate about their new idea that they are surprised when family and friends don’t line up to invest in their new venture. Vision alone rarely convinces people to invest. Carefully explain how you intend to use the funds requested. Document your commitments, as well as theirs.

Funding 60

Funding Startup Ideas Slides 60

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 21, 2021

They want Netflix to address a list of demands in the categories of content investment, employee relations and safety, and harm reduction. But Sarandos doubled down on his defense of the special, writing an internal email that “content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm.”

Netflix 300

Netflix Demand Content Hollywood 300

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 17, 2019

An email subscription is coming! The new information, gleaned from recently unsealed court documents , provides new insight into the company’s past activities and what that might mean for its upcoming IPO. Email me or send a direct message to @kirstenkorosec. billion investment in 2018. Deal of the week.

San Fernando 217

San Fernando Los Angeles Commerce News 217

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2010

In simple terms, it is a document which describes all the what, when, where, and how of your business for you, your cohorts, and potential investors. Finally, hone the result into a professional document. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 91

Startup Funding Sample Writing 91

Berkonomics

AUGUST 29, 2013

Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists, or angels, have put in substantial money and the sales price is less than the value of their investment. This late money is at much higher risk to the VCs than even the early stage investments that were optimistically made by angels or friends and family.

Sales 166

Sales Venture Capital Invest Guide 166

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

I just cover the companies that were funded that week. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. The idea is that in a world in which companies need to deal with customer support requests from Twitter, Facebook, email, phone, IM, etc. Others I have not. 14.7mm in Series D.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2010

DocStoc, based in Santa Monica, is headed by Jason Nazar , and offers a way for people to share and purchase professional documents. Funding: Around $4.0M. Funding: $12.8M. Funding: Over $41.0M. Funding: $50.0M. Funding: $150.0M. Funding: $300.0M. Let us know in comments or email!).

Southern California 124

Southern California Rustic Canyon SoCal Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2013

Here are five of the most common examples: Failure to document a Founder agreement at the beginning. Early partners or co-founders often drop out of the picture early due to disagreements, and you forget about them, but they don’t forget about the verbal or email promises you made. If a lawsuit is inevitable, better sooner than later.

Startup 94

Startup Patents Legalzoom Invest 94

TechEmpower

AUGUST 21, 2023

Due diligence prep: You’re coming up on a funding round or looking at a potential exit. This might include business-side materials like your product roadmap, business plans, and competitor analysis, as well as technical materials like requirements documentation, screen comps, and project/process systems like Jira and Confluence.

Technical Review 260

Technical Review Development Team Review Software Review TechEmpower 260

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 7, 2011

Email readers.continue here] Sometimes a secondary fund-raising effort leads to a lower valuation than the last. And it is that disconnected employee, usually one or more of the better performers, that starts looking for a job when times look bad for a company.

Layoffs 136

Layoffs Class News Email 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2012

Here are five of the most common examples: Failure to document a Founder agreement at the beginning. Early partners or co-founders often drop out of the picture early due to disagreements, and you forget about them, but they don’t forget about the verbal or email promises you made. If a lawsuit is inevitable, better sooner than later.

Startup 99

Startup Patents Legalzoom Invest 99

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

This week, David Steakley returns for another bite at the corporate apple, with just the right amount of tart comments that will keep this document legal for now. Email readers, continue here.] I routinely see prospective investments which rely by their nature upon selling to corporate customers. By David Steakley.

Startup 214

Startup Sales Product Customer 214

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Don’t you wish that someone had prepped you on how to read the body language, interpret office gossip, and when to hit the delete key on your email rather than the send key? Business Email and Texting. In school, you're taught to stretch weak ideas to reach your document page limit. Business Dress for Success.

Course 96

Course Email Social Network Ideas 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2013

In simple terms, it is a document which describes all the what, when, where, and how of your business for you, your cohorts, and potential investors. Finally, hone the result into a professional document. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. Marty Zwilling.

Sample 92

Sample Writing Startup Summary 92

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 28, 2012

I often caution entrepreneurs about seeing too many VCs when you’re beginning your fund raising process both because information tends to leak and because if you see too many people who talk with each other you’ll soon have whispers amongst all of the VCs who “passed on you” and your deal will seem over-shopped and lacking in momentum.

Technical Review 316

Technical Review Venture Capital Customer Custom 316

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2012

In simple terms, it is a document which describes all the what, when, where, and how of your business for you, your cohorts, and potential investors. Finally, hone the result into a professional document. I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note. Marty Zwilling.

Sample 96

Sample Writing Summary Startup 96

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

I am inspired by the constant innovation in our industry by First Round Capital like the Dorm Room Fund , their expansion to Philadelphia (I hope they also have a secret plot to replace Andy Reid while there), the exchange fund and other initiative. Do you find yourself too much in email mode? How can I raise the bar?

Venture Capital 400

Venture Capital Conference Ideas Entrepreneur 400

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Attitude – Brad and Jason clearly exhibit an entrepreneur-centric approach to the venture funding process. Examples – The book is filled with text excerpted from actual funding documents, rather than the generic templates usually found in academic textbooks. Don’t Email Carpet Bomb VCs. No Often Means No.

Venture Capital 205

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Writing Guide 205

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

Don’t you wish that someone had prepped you on how to read the body language, interpret office gossip, and when to hit the delete key on your email rather than the send key? Business Email and Texting. In school, you''re taught to stretch weak ideas to reach your document page limit. Business Dress for Success.

Course 104

Course Email Social Network Ideas 104

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 8, 2014

Back in January, at the annual TechZulu Startup Forecast , our panel of industry leaders and investors spent a healthy dose of time discussing the ongoing JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) and the investing sphere at large. This all, circling around 2008, a shy year for startup investments. Fundraising Frustrations.

Invest 83

Invest Platform Entrepreneur Paramount 83

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

Instead of equity, the company is aimed at profiting profitable small businesses with business debt funding from investors, to help those businesses grow and get to the next level. Have you run into any regulatory issues providing funding like this? We also liked the idea that people would get repaid. We have real people here.

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2009

This morning's interview with Daryl Bernstein , CEO and co-founder of Santa Barbara-based RightSignature (www.rightsignature.com), a firm which has created an online, software-as-a-service offering to collect legally binding signatures on documents. We've also got a huge list of additional document types in the works.

Outsource Development 100

Outsource Development Santa Barbara Education SaaS 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Language Weaver is backed by Palisades Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels, and The Athenaeum Fund. So that continues to be a core area of focus for us, and has grown significantly over the last few years, an in which we've continued to invest. The problem them was, we've got ten documents, how do we get through those.

Software Review 145

Software Review USC Content Tech Coast Angels 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

Don’t you wish that someone had prepped you on how to read the body language, interpret office gossip, and when to hit the delete key on your email rather than the send key? Business Email and Texting. In school, you're taught to stretch weak ideas to reach your document page limit. Business Dress for Success.

Training 57

Training Course Email Social Network 57

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2013

Don’t you wish that someone had prepped you on how to read the body language, interpret office gossip, and when to hit the delete key on your email rather than the send key? Business Writing for Email. In school, you''re taught to stretch weak ideas to reach your document page limit. Dress for Success. Business Sales Techniques.

Class 93

Class Course Writing Slides 93