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. However, by finding a partner with complementary skills, the potential was always greater than “1+1.” You need a team and relationships to run a business.

Technical Review 373

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Entrepreneur 373

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 310

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 310

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The market was down considerably with public valuations down 53–79% across the four sectors we were reviewing (it is since down even further). ==> Aside, we also have a NEW LA-based partner I’m thrilled to announce: Nick Kim. In 2009 we could take a long time to review a deal. But rest assured valuations get reset.

Technical Review 416

Technical Review Pre-Money Valuation San Francisco Valuation 416

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2021

Some get stuck in a rut and get run over by competitors with new technology, like Eastman Kodak, and others get pushed into a crisis, like Apple did, before they reinvent themselves into a new market. Use that same technical and business expertise that served you well on this startup to find the next opportunity.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Entrepreneur Due Diligence Institutional Investors 417

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Investors, partners, team members, and customers implicitly value or devalue a startup based on the leader’s physical presence, emotional identity, social skills, intellectual agility, moral values, and past performance in the domain. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact. Focus on talent and people growth.

Technical Review 323

Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation Leadership 323

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 17, 2024

Understanding the Canadian Market Canada is often seen as an appealing option for startups due to its proximity to the U.S., Startups in technology, healthcare, clean energy, and fintech find particular promise in Canada’s growing industries. its stable economy, and a highly educated workforce.

Mexico 127

Mexico Canada Intellectual Property North America 127

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 30, 2024

Leveraging Technology for International Expansion Technology is essential to facilitating global corporate expansion. A study by Harvard Business Review emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology in global business strategies. Embracing e-commerce platforms can provide a smoother entry into new markets.

Technical Review 117

Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence Global 117

View from Seed

APRIL 14, 2020

This led to a number of repercussions that most VC’s have lamented during this time, including higher prices, larger rounds, shoddy due diligence, and many companies raising large sums of venture capital that probably aren’t suited to VC funding. Firms will start to torture founders with endless diligence requests.

Early Stage 374

Early Stage Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence 374

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Calculate employee stock option values and vesting times, as well as salary.

Technical Review 436

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Professional investors and advisors, on the other hand, usually refuse to sign these agreements today due to the risk of litigation and administrative workload, and will walk away. Discussions with potential strategic partners. Most often, the best potential partners are already in a business complementary to yours.

Non-disclosure Agreement 254

Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 254

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 257

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 14, 2022

And with the technology available these days, it is convenient to invest in emerging startups. Of late, with the advent of new technology and the spread of the internet to nearly all corners of the country, Indians have taken up a new kind of shop! Some sectors where they have left their indelible mark are – Health tech.

Technical Review 145

Technical Review Due Diligence India Startup 145

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

That should involve hiring dedicated staff to manage vendor risks, perform due diligence when taking on new vendors, document the vendor relationship, and even put together the necessary contractual language to, for example, obtain a certain level of data security, or put other measures in place to mitigate risk.

Software Review 264

Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence Management 264

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

When I met my now-wife, I realized that any technology that can find me a spouse is a killer app. But in business, you want a lot of partners. I’d argue that the same type of technologies that have revolutionized dating can revolutionize our industry. . That’s why 40 million Americans use online dating sites. 2) Market .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

It is not always a financial transaction; sometimes it comes in the form of managerial or technical expertise. It is possible to attract a venture capital partner with an idea for a business, but most deals are closed after the business has a founding team , a minimum viable product or MVP, and customers. Understand VC Term Sheets.

Venture Capital 144

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Security 144

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team. Teamwork is the hallmark of high-performing startups. Establishing a shared identity is the first step to creating unity.

Technical Review 269

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 269

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Professional investors and advisors, on the other hand, usually refuse to sign these agreements today due to the risk of litigation and administrative workload, and will walk away. Discussions with potential strategic partners. Most often, the best potential partners are already in a business complementary to yours.

Non-disclosure Agreement 399

Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 399

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

VC Partnerships Start by understanding how many partners are at the firm you are approaching. It’s pretty easy since nearly every VC lists its partners on the website. Some firms are trickier since they artificially call everybody “partner” but they’re not all “investment partners.” How many partners are there?

Technical Review 314

Technical Review Due Diligence Partner Term Sheet 314

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

Investors, partners, team members, and customers implicitly value or devalue a startup based on the leader’s physical presence, emotional identity, social skills, intellectual agility, moral values, and past performance in the domain. I have paraphrased his key points here as follows: Leader personal impact. Focus on talent and people growth.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

VC Cafe

OCTOBER 31, 2024

Non-consensus investments , on the other hand, are those that defy popular opinion or seem risky due to unconventional business models, unproven markets, or early market entry. Later one, the space exploded, Hour One raised their seed from Galaxy and Kindred and their series A from Insight Partners.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Due Diligence ChatGPT Generative AI 78

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

They had been introduced by my friend Brian Garrett, a partner at Crosscut Ventures and the ambition outlined in their deck seemed almost unbelievable, “to make wireless charging of phones (and other devices) as easy as WiFi” that I had to see it for myself. The practical uses for uBeam technology is limitless.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence CTO Hire 418

VC Cafe

JANUARY 3, 2024

Reflecting on this journey, the tech world was a completely different landscape back then. I’ve written on the VC boom (when money was cheap and due diligence was minimal) to the major reckoning that followed and we’re still yet to see its full impact. ” – Chinese Proverb Happy New Year!

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Israel Generative AI Due Diligence 88

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 120

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 24, 2017

Here are a few tips to ensure that you and your partners start out on the right foot. A CPA provides input on tax structure and metrics, and assists with due diligence related to your industry. You need to ask questions and perform due diligence before you invest substantial time and money. Congratulations!

Partner 208

Partner Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence 208

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

On the other side of the spectrum, the idea of finding a unicorn has attracted many investors toward the much riskier venture capital and emerging technologies. Over the past decade, advancing technologies and social consciousness have been causing unprecedented and exciting shifts in every sector of the economy, not just the tertiary.

Private Equity 129

Private Equity Equity Technical Review Software Review 129

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

For the past 10 years, with interest rates near zero, VC investors plowed record amounts into tech startups and enjoyed a seemingly ‘easy’ investing environment. From a technology point of view, new tech tools like generative AI means that tasks can be accomplished with fewer resources and at a higher speed.

Venture Capital 215

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Institutional Investors 215

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2020

The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team. Teamwork is the hallmark of high-performing startups. Establishing a shared identity is the first step to creating unity.

Technical Review 308

Technical Review Kentucky Due Diligence Japan 308

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Calculate employee stock option values and vesting times, as well as salary.

Sweat Equity 207

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 207

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Most of these scenarios involve attracting outside investors, strategic partners, or key team members: You are the team and you don’t need outside funding. Most professional investors, even if they like your story, and were properly introduced by a friend, will ask for a business plan at the due diligence stage.

Business Plan 316

Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence 316

SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2010

In my post, Technology Roles in Startups , I described some of the different ways I engage with startup companies such as CTO Founder , CTO , Part-Time CTO , Acting CTO , Consultant, Advisor and Advisory Board Member. Now, most often technical advisors are part of a broader advisory board. In Why assemble an advisory board?

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Advisory Board Technology Fractional CTO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

You need to convince them that you have been working on this vision for a long time, and have done the “due diligence” on all the potential knockoffs. In high technology, this is called “release early and iterate,” which allows you to make corrections as you go, as well as adjust for the market changes. Don’t be one.

Technical Review 338

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Angel Investor 338

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 21, 2023

Again, this isn’t something that you’ll want to discover during due diligence… Limitation of liability A well drafted commercial contract should include a limitation of liability clause. Bespoke bulletproof contracts show maturity, which can only help a company’s reputation.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence Early Stage 110

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

If you don’t perform a background check on your potential partner before doing business with him, you’re setting yourself up to get duped. It’s imperative to perform a due diligence check before entering into any business relationship — especially for an entrepreneur. But those who have something to hide will hide it.

Technical Review 219

Technical Review Partner Due Diligence Bankruptcy 219

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Get outside the company regularly to get feedback on future customer needs, emerging technologies, and the views of influencers and experts in the field. Explore partners and M&A to solidify your strategy.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Social Media 312

Duct Tape Marketing

JUNE 13, 2024

The Power of Verified Reviews: Why Agencies Thrive with Clutch written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Katie Hollar, the marketing lead at Clutch , a leading global marketplace for business service providers.

Technical Review 82

Technical Review Software Review B2B Demand 82

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Today, Mark Attanasio gets to flex his full range of expertise and interests as co-founder and Managing Partner of Hillcrest Merchant Partners, a Toronto-based merchant bank focused on early stage and mid market growth companies. Even better, Attanasio says, is if they have done extensive due diligence first.

Partner 113

Partner Technical Review Management Due Diligence 113

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 2, 2019

For instance, some focus solely on technical support, and others that work specifically in the marketing industry. Here are some benefits of partnering with a virtual assistant: · They help put processes in place. Some virtual assistants specialize in a particular industry or specific task.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Due Diligence Technical Support Bootstrapping 147