Startup
Ways to start a company and what pitfalls you have to look out for.
How to Divide up Founders Equity
See if this sounds familiar: A couple buddies come up with this super cool idea to completely dominate the SaaS market for tools that help companies save billions by monetizing their social media reach . These buddies know the technology, have the contacts and VC’s want to pour money into this “change the world”... »
OnStartups: A Geek’s Guide to Hiring Marketing People
This post is a must read for any techie that needs to hire a marketing person. I do recommend looking at the original post that inspired Jason to write this one. The Answers.OnStartUps forum is an excellent resource for entrepreneurs. I frequent it often and am a regular contributor (it’s kind of addictive). The real... »
Quicksprout: The Biggest Mistake Your’re Going to Make
Focus is a critical component to success and Neil nails it with this post. Without focus, you get easily distracted on things that don’t matter. Starting a business is no different. You really need to pick one and dive in. Distracting yourself with multiple ventures will increase your odds of failure. It’s just that... »
Startup Stock Options Explained
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer nor an accountant. I don’t even play them on TV. What I have done is some research. I have also been at a couple of startups where I had to figure out the paperwork. It obvious, but please do consult a qualified financial or legal adviser before making... »
Topic #10: Financing
Talking Points Cater the financing to the type of company you have Venture Capitalists want billion dollar markets, hockey stick revenue growth with 10 x returns in 3-5 years. Strategic partners tend to want products out of the deal not necessary a financial return Bank loans work well if you have an established business with cash flow Most small... »
Topic #9: Financial Models
Talking Points Models are only as good as their inputs — garbage in, garbage out Knowing your monthly burn rate allows for better cash flow management Start simple. Add complexity when the fundamentals are understood. Iterate as required — models should never be static but always baselined It’s fine to make guesses. Just make sure to capture as much... »
Writing Your Business Narrative
People love a good story. We gravitate to stories because they are easy to understand and if told well, stick with us. Narrative is a powerful tool to tell your business story, without all of the complexity of a business plan. People tend to have a difficult time starting a business plan or even... »
OnStartUps: How To Price Software
Pricing of anything always gives people heartburn (especially me). Even though this post is about pricing software, it has a lot of really good insights into pricing just about anything. For me, the best line is: 6. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. This quote is not actually in the book, but I... »
Quicksprout: Finding The Right Business Partner
Interesting post on choosing a business partner. Neil makes some great points. The single biggest thing for me is to get along with whomever you pick. What I mean by that is that you actually want to be around them. It’s going to get rough and the worst comes out in people when under... »
Topic #4: Marketing Basics
Talking Points A market is anyplace where goods and services can be exchanged The Marketing Mix (The 4 P’s): Product, Price, Promotion and Place Find the customer pain and cure it profitability Marketing focuses on the needs of the customer while sales focuses on the needs of the company. Define the product by curing the customer pain then confirm... »
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