Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2014

With the recent apparent successes of several startups in taking their company public (initial public offering) and raising billions of dollars, I’m hearing a groundswell of enthusiasm from new entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps to fund their companies and become billionaires overnight.

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IPO Initial Public Offering Startup Small Business Administration 236

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Today the rate of startups going public (IPO – Initial Public Offering) is finally up from the dead zone of the last two decades, and is now double the rate back in 1999. Going public is an expensive process.

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IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 245

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. All strategy and operational moves become public.

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IPO Initial Public Offering Entrepreneur Private Equity 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. They don’t realize that this option would likely be their worst nightmare, since it costs millions for the road show, usually dilutes your equity to a tiny fraction, and takes away all your entrepreneurial control.

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Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2018

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the side door as a reverse merger. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

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Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 198

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2011

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. They don’t realize that this option would likely be their worst nightmare, since it costs millions for the road show, usually dilutes your equity to a tiny fraction, and takes away all your entrepreneurial control.

Exit Strategy 235

Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 235

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2014

With the uptick in the economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is not for entrepreneurs already out of money. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur.

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Merger OTC IPO Stock 246

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2018

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to stay low, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. Yet I believe the trend will continue flat as entrepreneurs become more aware of other considerations that make the IPO route less and less attractive.

Exit Strategy 128

Exit Strategy IPO Initial Public Offering SEC 128

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. They don’t realize that this option would likely be their worst nightmare, since it costs millions for the road show, usually dilutes your equity to a tiny fraction, and takes away all your entrepreneurial control.

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IPO Founder Exit Strategy Investment Bankers 224

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

According to current Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship , the share of new entrepreneurs who started businesses to pursue opportunity rather than from necessity now exceeds 86%, more than 12 percentage points higher than ten years ago at the height of the last recession. Initial Public Offerings (IPO) are back as an exit strategy.

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North America Incubator Initial Public Offering Exit Strategy 320

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2016

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to decrease, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. Yet I believe the trend will continue down as entrepreneurs become more aware of other considerations that make the IPO route less and less attractive.

IPO 120

IPO Initial Public Offering SEC Stock Options 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of someday taking their startup public, and making it a multi-national powerhouse. In my view, the key reasons that IPOs have lost their luster from an entrepreneur and investor perspective include the following: The US IPO process seems broken. Going public is an expensive process.

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IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2015

With the uptick in the economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the backdoor as a reverse merger. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Merger 120

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2018

According to the 2017 Kauffman Startup Activity Index , the share of new entrepreneurs who started businesses to pursue opportunity rather than from necessity reached 86 percent, more than 12 percentage points higher than in 2009 at the height of the Great Recession. Thus a record number of entrepreneurs (and team members) are getting rich.

Entrepreneur 166

Entrepreneur Valuation Incubator Initial Public Offering 166

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2013

is already well above the dot.com bubble of 15 years ago, although we have slipped a bit this year from the high point of 320 new entrepreneurs out of 100,000 adults in 2011. Thus a record number of entrepreneurs (and employees) are getting rich. Initial Public Offerings (IPO) are back as an exit strategy.

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IPO Entrepreneur Social Media Startup 273

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2010

At this stage, your startup better be selling a commercial offering, have price and cost validated, with significant customer sales and a real revenue stream. At this stage, you need investment bankers to negotiate a merger or acquisition (M&A), go private, or help you go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

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Investment Bankers Venture Capital Startup Initial Public Offering 231

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

At this stage, your startup better be selling a commercial offering, have price and cost validated, with significant customer sales and a real revenue stream. At this stage, you need investment bankers to negotiate a merger or acquisition (M&A), go private, or help you go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Investment Bankers 241

Investment Bankers Venture Capital Startup Initial Public Offering 241

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2011

It has been at least a decade since going public via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) has been considered a credible exit strategy for startups. Are you ready to answer to the new public stockholders and accept responsibility for both the good and the bad as it unfolds in an uncertain future?

IPO 223

IPO Social Media Media Exit Strategy 223

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 14, 2012

IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, and is the first sale of a private stock to the public. On the other hand, if you’re obsessed with your ROI, you’re probably an entrepreneur that’s using other people’s money. What You Thought It Meant: Giant Awesome Animatronic Porcupine.

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Non-disclosure Agreement NDA IPO Covenant 202

Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

VC’s worked with entrepreneurs to build profitable and scalable businesses, with increasing revenue and consistent profitability – quarter after quarter. The reward for doing so was a liquidity event via an Initial Public Offering. For VC’s and entrepreneurs the gold rush to liquidity was on. Wide Adoption.

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Internet IPO Silicon Valley Agile 334

Pascal's View

MARCH 24, 2010

The cost of filing patents has increased dramatically. The cost of enforcing patents has gone through the roof. monopolists) and low cost producers (e.g., offshore companies with lower labor costs, fixed currencies and weaker environmental standards). Share and Enjoy:

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Intellectual Property Global San Francisco Technical Review 52

Gust

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

At this stage, your startup better be selling a commercial offering, have price and cost validated, with significant customer sales and a real revenue stream. At this stage, you need investment bankers to negotiate a merger or acquisition (M&A), go private, or help you go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Venture Capital 171

Venture Capital Investment Bankers Angel Investor Initial Public Offering 171

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Without profit, there is no longevity to any business, so I’m always surprised when sincere young entrepreneurs avoid using the term, as if “profit” is a bad word. Every entrepreneur, and every investor, needs targets and a conviction that your business will be sustainable, and will provide a return-on-investment (ROI) to all constituents.

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Intellectual Property Initial Public Offering Merger Acquisition 48

Reid Hoffman

MARCH 19, 2019

Tim O’Reilly’s recent article, “ The fundamental problem with Silicon Valley’s favorite growth strategy ,” makes an impassioned argument that the ideas in our book, Blitzscaling , encourage entrepreneurs to behave in ways that are irresponsible or even dangerous in the pursuit of what he characterizes as “runaway growth.”

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Cofounder Business Model IPO Non-Compete 28

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2013

How do you as an entrepreneur with a new idea get to be one of those choices? Initially, you may be able to rely on friends and family to put you on the top of their list, but eventually you will probably need real professional investors (Angels and VCs). That means merger and acquisition (M&A), not initial public offering (IPO).

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Cram Down Angel Investor Intellectual Property Venture Capital 269

Growthink Blog

MAY 23, 2011

An entrepreneur starts a company in classic " bootstrap " fashion - with a combination of sweat equity and their own financial resources. The angel then introduces the entrepreneur to his or her wealthy friends and business connections who, based on the good reputation of the referring angel, also invest. All live happily ever after.

Angel Investor 112

Angel Investor Venture Capital Sweat Equity Cram Down 112

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 2, 2012

The real truth is, since the "Internet bubble" burst in 2001, initial public offerings have not resumed the vitality levels of the late 1980s, let alone the boom years of the '90s. Doing so would reduce costs for companies while still adhering to the first principle of investor protection.". Stock image by Shutterstock.

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IPO Startup Florida Seed Capital 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2015

According to the latest Kaufman Startup Activity Index , entrepreneurs are making an unprecedented comeback in America, with data showing the largest year-over-year increase in two decades. Thus a record number of entrepreneurs (and employees) are getting rich. Initial Public Offerings (IPO) are back as an exit strategy.

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IPO Angel Investor Startup Incubator 120

YoungUpstarts

MAY 31, 2016

It requires that company size is factored into their understanding and that these guiding best practices can be appropriately scaled or right-sized to accommodate for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Yes, cash flow is king and every start-up wants to achieve greatness or hit a sizable IPO, initial public offering sooner than later.

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Technical Review Leadership Early Stage Initial Public Offering 100

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Those were CEOs of public companies and founders or executives of some of the fastest-growing and most successful tech companies in Austin and tech. Those were teachers, accountants, consultants, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Are there amazing Silicon Valley VCs out there with whom entrepreneurs should work to partner?

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Silicon Valley Technical Review Venture Capital San Francisco 48

VC Cafe

MARCH 11, 2010

T aking a company through an initial public offering (IPO) is not an easy task. It’s also an uncertain exit for the entrepreneurs, as they are typically restricted to sell any of their stock in the first 180 days following the IPO, and even then they can sell no more than 1% of stock a month. The company has $15.4

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IPO SEC Initial Public Offering Stock 68

online.wsj.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

An entrepreneur with a hot technology and venture-capital funding becomes a billionaire in his 20s. Failure often is harder on entrepreneurs who lose money that theyve borrowed on credit cards or from friends and relatives than it is on those who raised venture capital. Stock Quotes. more in Small Business. Live Chat Recap.

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Venture Capital Software Review Rhode Island North Dakota 107