Category: Startup Issues
-
The Startup “Hyphen” Must Die
It’s time for the entire startup world to cease spelling “startup” with a hyphen. I realize that most dictionaries have “start-up” as the main entry. But if “vlog” and “webisode” can be added to the dictionary, I’m pretty sure the startup hyphen can be eliminated from those same reference books. In addition to just looking…
-
White-Label is the New Black for Startups
I’ve been seeing a lot of white-label deals for startup clients in the past couple months. For example, Big in Japan struck a deal with CBS Interactive (CNET) to white-label ShopSavvy as the custom app “CNET Scan and Shop.” Also, ParaTweet came to terms with Royal Caribbean on a white-label custom app used for a…
-
How to Handle Startup Idea Theft
Have you ever been jacked? The only time I recall being a victim of theft was during undergrad at USC. Someone broke into my car while it was parked in the garage of my downtown L.A. apartment complex and the bandit(s) made off with my CD collection. While I was relatively unscathed by the theft…
-
5 Common Founder Mistakes
This is a re-post of an article that I wrote about common founder mistakes for StartupLucky.com and Killerstartups.com (not sure if it went out yet). 1. Spending Too Much Time Keeping Your “Unique” Idea Top Secret. Some founders attempt to have everyone within 25 feet of them sign an NDA. Instead of spending time drafting…
-
Start-Up Tool Kit From Orrick
Forgot to mention that Orrick released a Start-Up Tool Kit over the summer. From Orrick’s site: Orrick’s Start-Up Tool Kit is a comprehensive set of resources designed to aid start-ups and their founders on the journey from the “garage” to the global marketplace. The Start-Up Tool Kit includes a Term Sheet Creator (hope you have…
-
June One-Six-Seven-One
Back in high school, I told my closest friends that “when I have a law firm, 2pac will be playing in the office.” I really didn’t plan to have my own law practice in high school, I was just letting my friends know that I wouldn’t change. Of course, I’m writing this from the Southlake…
-
Startup “Odds of Success” Calculator
StartupNation released an “Odds of Success Calculator” so that entrepreneurs can “see if your business is prepared for success.” The calculator derives your odds of success based upon your answers to the following 8 questions: (1) About how much debt and equity capital has been provided to your business? (2) How long do you think…
-
Don’t Oversmart Your Startup’s Business Plan
A couple of weeks ago, I retweeted a Brad Feld post titled “Startup Cost Projections for First-Time Entrepreneurs.” The passage that interested me the most was: The biggest mistake first time entrepreneurs make is that they fall prey to the idea that they need to put together a five year P&L forecast and cash flow…
-
Stock for Fees
Recently I’ve written about potential conflicts of interest between you and your startup lawyer. Now for the main event: Stock for Fees. This situation arises when a startup company offers stock to a lawyer in exchange for legal services. I’ve derived the following 2 postulates to explain why startups and lawyers agree to this setup:…
-
The Superbowl Example of “Stay Ready”
Back in January, I wrote a post about how entrepreneurs should always stay ready for potential opportunities (rather than get ready once they pinpoint one). Well, today seems like the appropriate day to provide a real-world example of staying ready. I met Jared Retkofsky in the fall of 2008. Jared is the long snapper for…