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10 Attributes Of The Perfect Partner For Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk. It’s faster and cheaper than building a large team in-house, and usually more effective.

Partner 385
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10 Common Startup Mistakes That Are Rarely Admitted

Startup Professionals Musings

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. In that spirit, I offer my perspective on ten common startup failure sources that rarely get admitted by entrepreneurs: Choose to skip the written business plan.

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Find an Angel Investor, Without Going Through Hell

Startup Professionals Musings

If your startup is looking for an angel investor, it makes sense to present your plan to flocks of angels, and assume that at least one will swoop down and scoop you up. The challenge is to find the right angel for your, and for your situation. Angel investors are people too. Or does it?

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5 Keys To A Viable Spending Rate And Cash Management

Startup Professionals Musings

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall. Don’t wait until you are almost out of cash before managing every dollar spent or looking for the next refueling from investors.

Burn Rate 258
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10 Ways To Make Your Funding Pitch More Hard-Hitting

Startup Professionals Musings

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from fellow investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

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10 Ways Your Startup Co-Founder Is Like A Good Spouse

Startup Professionals Musings

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The challenge is to recognize and recruit that ideal partner match early with minimal cost and risk. It’s faster and cheaper than building a large team in-house, and usually more effective.

Cofounder 221
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10 Keys To Limiting Your Startup Story To Ten Minutes

Startup Professionals Musings

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from fellow investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.