cdixon.org

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

A frequent question entrepreneurs have when they are just starting their company is: how secretive should I be about my idea? This includes investors, entrepreneurs, people who work in similar areas, friends, people on the street, the bartender, etc. You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built.

Stealth 68

Stealth Startup NDA Cofounder 68

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 23, 2018

Staying real, and separating fact from fiction can help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting a new business while staying grounded. Many successful products and services share the origin story of “I needed something like this, so I built it.”. Educating consumers why a particular product matters is critical.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Seattle Social Media 69

Steve Blank

APRIL 8, 2010

He and his co-founder were both PhD’s in applied math who believe they can make some serious inroads on next generation search. We thought we’d take our plan and go raise seed money. We can’t raise money knowing our plan is wrong.”. Entrepreneurs treat a business plan, once written as a final collection of facts.

Business Model 329

Business Model Business Plan Customer Cap Table 329

Scott Edward Walker

OCTOBER 28, 2014

To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “ Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share our favorite video of successful entrepreneurs, investors or business leaders on a variety of topics. Is this person rifle-focused and obsessed by the product?’” –Ron Conway (at 1:17). Ron Conway (at 1:37).

Cap Table 67

Cap Table Cofounder Silicon Valley Venture Capital 67

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

I know many super experienced entrepreneurs who don’t understand the basics of how fund size and age can affect them so I thought it was worth establishing a baseline. In a world of The Funded, VentureHacks and entrepreneur blogs this kind of informations spreads like wildfire. Let me explain: 1.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Term Sheet Early Stage Silicon Valley 265

The Equity Kicker

AUGUST 20, 2014

I’m reproducing in full here because it’s a great explanation of our solo-founder hypothesis and how we work more generally. Are you a solo founder with an idea? Snaptrip started as an idea, an excel spreadsheet and a passionate founder called Matt. —————————-.

Cofounder 95

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Technical Review 95

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2019

Many very successful, non-technology companies have also been products of venture capital, including Home Depot, Starbucks, and Staples. The reality today is that capital is more available than ever and entrepreneurs have become more sophisticated, so founders are looking for more than just cash from their venture backers.

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

If a company has reached a level of success, has been around for a few years and you believe the company has potential to break out into a much bigger company then you should let the founders take money off of the table. Not FU money, but “feed the family&# money. I raised $500k in seed money to start the company.

Founder 329

Founder Liquidation Preference Term Sheet Participating Preferred 329

techcrunch.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

It is the first in a series of posts he’s writing about the decisions a young entrepreneur needs to make when she/he is first starting a business. So for this first post, here’s the best advice I can give you: join an awesome founding team and get your product out the door ASAP. I need money for the servers. Need proof?

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Cofounder Technical Cofounder Software Review 84

Feld Thoughts

JULY 14, 2015

A company raises $1m of seed money from angels in a convertible note with a $6m cap. Assuming equity is raised at or above that cap, the total dilution, before the new money, is 16.6% (equivalent to an equity financing of $1m at a $6m post money valuation. The product gets a lot better. Here’s the scenario.

Recapitalization 70

Recapitalization Pre-Money Valuation Post-Money Valuation Angel Investor 70

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

That is why it is imperative for entrepreneurs to critically examine all advice and “truths” about startups. Fortunately, many startup myths revolve around three common topics (business plans, money, and unnatural hustle). Entrepreneurs must be nimble, and will be more apt to stick with a flawed concept they spent months drafting.

Washington 48

Washington Incubator Cofounder Angel Investor 48

pandodaily.com

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Essentially, we got here by entrepreneurs having too much of a good thing. The number of seed and angel investors has exploded in recent years, buoyed up by a number of factors. At each turn, these market changes were heralded as wonderful developments for entrepreneurs. A name like 500 Startups says it all.

Technical Review 93

Technical Review Silicon Valley Incubator Syria 93