In a different situation, a prospective partner asked a company for a term sheet for a deal. The deal was to take place after a study was completed. Likewise, there was no discussion of the timing of the execution of the deal, scope of the deal, or other such parameters. Let me digress for a minute. MORE >>

Our 2003 deal with HP didn’t generate a single dollar in revenue, whereas our 2006 agreement with Cisco drove tens of millions of dollars in sales and helped to make Opsware the uncatchable leader in data center software. In practice, however, most “David-Goliath” distribution deals turn out like our 2003 HP deal: great PR, but not much else. MORE >>

It may be around deal structure, testing or design of product, new hires, downsizing or firing, how much to spend on a program or some other issue. The Board of Directors may be involved along with senior management; hence, the problem. Persuading people sometimes may include negotiating; possibly with the Board or management. MORE >>

Management team that sounds and looks like they can execute the plan – if you didn’t finish building the team yet, make sure you have at least one co-founder with complementary skills. I’ve decided to keep his name off as I didn’t get his explicit permission, but drop me a line if you’d like to get in touch. MORE >>

Typical questions: What do you think of management? That is why I tell people not to shop deals too widely. So acknowledge it to yourself and be prepared to deal with it. When I was fund raising for my second company we had agreed a company-wide deal with Salesforce.com to use our product. We discuss deal structures. MORE >>