Tag: startup
-
You Can’t Hit a Home Run Unless You Step Up to the Plate
Judging by the recent spike of emails and calls, more of you are considering diving into the startup world. I think this is the perfect time to do so. And no, I haven’t been in a coma the last month or two. There is tremendous opportunity now. But rather than hear it from me, hear…
-
How Many Shares of Authorized Stock Should a Startup Company have at Incorporation?
An often overlooked aspect of filing a certificate of incorporation is determining how many shares of authorized stock should the new corporation authorize at incorporation. This decision doesn’t really matter to most businesses (I don’t have a clue how many shares I authorized when I incorporated my law firm), but startup companies aren’t like most…
-
How I Launched My Startup (Law Firm) 2016 Update
I’m often contacted by lawyers for advice about going solo or how to start a law firm. In the legal world, going solo is the equivalent of quitting your day job and launching your startup full-time. So I’m dedicating this blog post to provide some background about how I launched my startup law firm. I…
-
Making Dallas the City of Angels
I could use more palm trees here in Dallas and while I’m at it a Togo’s. However, the “City of Angels” reference in this post’s title is about bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and angel investors rather than going “Under the Bridge.” The startup ecosystem in Dallas is discombobulated if not broken. “Underperforming” would be…
-
When To Fire a Startup Company’s Founder-CEO
When should a founder be replaced as CEO of a venture-backed company? The topic is obviously a touchy one for a startup founder that brought early success to a company. But while a founder might have been successful leading the startup to a funding event, can the founder also lead the startup to a liquidity…
-
Enthusiasm is Not a Substitute for Caution
This morning was my son’s first day of school and he was extremely excited to get going. In fact, he would have ran across the street to his school without looking if I hadn’t stopped him. His elation overtook his ability to evaluate peril. This reminded me of how entrepreneurs can rush into a startup…
-
The Entrepreneur Also Rises
I had some free time this weekend and watched “Empire of the Sun” starring Christian Bale and John Malkovich. The movie came out in 1987, but I saw it for the first time Saturday. The premise of Empire of the Sun is that an aristocratic British child is separated from his family (living in China)…
-
Keep the Bridge Burning to a Minimum
A few months ago, I was on a conference call with opposing counsel to negotiate a client’s deal. Things got a little heated (the only time I’ve ever experienced a hostile communication with another attorney) and eventually I got hung up on. I was about to call the attorney back and show him what I…
-
5 Signs Your Startup Jumped The Shark
How to know whether your startup company has reached the beginning of the end
-
How to Incorporate Your Sole Proprietorship
Many entrepreneurs begin their startup as a sole proprietorship. Eventually, some sole proprietors desire to incorporate so they can reduce their personal liability and protect their personal assets. But the act of incorporating a going business does not, by itself, transfer the current business being conducted as a sole proprietorship to the new corporation. The…