Top 3 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Issuing Equity
Don’t make these common mistakes!
Build Your A-Team
When you first set out to execute your brilliant idea, you may feel that you have all of the answers. You are able to make decisions quickly and move at lightning speed. However, you will learn that you will go further by collaborating with and building an A-Team.
The Two Steps to Building a Billion Dollar Brand
Why do some brands achieve astronomical success while comparable brands fade into oblivion? The answer lies in the consumers’ hearts and minds. Winning brands focus on the consumer’s emotional and intellectual response. The best way to capture the heart...Top 8 Things That Make Investors Cringe
Have you ever left a pitch and wondered what investors really thought about you? I decided to roll up my sleeves and conduct a nationwide, sector and stage agnostic survey of investors. I insured that I included investors that represented all stages, sectors, and...Sell Your Company, Not Your Soul
I attended Venture 2013 this month. The closing session, End Game: Exits & Liquidity Options reminded me of one of my favorite sayings from my technology investment banking days in Silicon Valley, “Anyone can launch a company. The hard part is...Are You Building a Billion-Dollar Brand or a Hobby?
A scalable startup has inherent qualities that promote infinite growth. The ability to serve one million users flows from the infrastructure that efficiently serves 10. As an individual, you have a finite number of hours to create one output. You are constrained by...Know What You Don't Know
Steve Blank covers the difference between a board of directors and an advisory board in “Don’t Give Away Your Board Seats.” I’d like to pick up where he left off. Now that you understand the importance of attracting advisers, how do you find them? Take a look at a few...Change the World
Regardless of the strategy you choose – IPO, sell or stay private – the best possible outcome for your company is to “make a dent in the Universe,” as Steve Jobs would say.
Being a Mentor Advances Your Growth
In Stiletto Network, Nancy Peretsman of Allen & Company confides that her female peers’ attempt to mentor young women had a surprising effect: “We thought the younger women would deeply benefit from the older women, but the surprise was that it definitely went both ways.”
You Don’t Need VCs
Entrepreneurs need to understand their funding roadmap. Hopefully, it includes non-dilutive capital sources early in the game, and a conservative amount of dilutive capital sources as needed. When you are just starting out you don’t need VCs