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53 Questions Developers Should Ask Innovators

TechEmpower

At TechEmpower, we frequently talk to startup founders, CEOs, product leaders, and other innovators about their next big tech initiative. Do you have legal (Founder Agreement, IP, etc.) Are there other founders, business leaders, partners, or administrators? If you launched tomorrow, how many users would you forecast?

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Intellectual Property for Startups in the Real World

Gust

Last month we covered the basics of intellectual property (IP) for startups, including a simple taxonomy, some common issues and related documents for entrepreneurs to use when forming a new startup. How much is it worth investing in cultivating and enforcing an IP portfolio ? Barriers to entry ?

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Flexible VC, a New Model for Companies Targeting Profitability

David Teten

From RBI, Flexible VCs borrow the ability to reap meaningful returns without demanding founders build for an exit. Every Flexible VC structure allows founders to access immediate risk capital while preserving exit, growth trajectory, and ownership optionality. . Flexible VC 102: Variations.

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How To Predict The Future

Feld Thoughts

In the mid-1990s, a good friend of mine, Gene Kim (founder of Tripwire and author of When IT Fails: A Business Novel ) and I were in graduate school together in the Computer Science program at the University of Arizona. But it’s hard to say, even with hindsight, that we could have predicted Wikipedia, let alone forecast when it would occur.

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Startup Benchmarks

VC Cafe

Forecasting is sometimes done by dragging the mouse based on many assumptions, because it’s hard to predict the future. While there isn’t a single magic number or set formula, understanding industry benchmarks can be really helpful to keep a finger on the pulse to measure the health of the company and make more informed forecasts.

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Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations - Startups.

Tim Keane

  In a bottom up approach, the forecast is built from actual user projections. These include: ·       Vesting of Founder Stock.   Oftentimes, term-sheets specify provisions under which there is not a majority on the board from either founders or investors.

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Channel your Inner VC to Understand Startup Valuations

www.currentlyobsessed.com

Deals come in all shapes and sizes, and seed stage funds like First Round Capital and programs like TechStars provide flexibility Explosive growth companies and multi-time successful founders get atypical deals The other terms (besides valuation) matter too! For example, liquidation prefs. Read Terms that Hurt (Venture Hacks).