Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

Early in a services business there is usually no profits as the company reinvests in hiring people to grow, but by $20 million in sales the company should at least be pulling in 10% profits (if not more) depending on how much is reinvested. You own the IP you create. But it might not. Why Build a Services Business in the First Place?

Silicon Valley 332

Silicon Valley IP Dividend Finance 332

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 8, 2016

They hire world-class animators and sweat every detail of the drawings. So every company that I now work with or talk to that has a need for character-based IP — I always direct them to Andrew. They are doing tens of millions in revenue and the first product hasn’t even been live for 2 years.

IP 150

IP Revenue Campaign Video 150

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 13, 2010

Everybody was doing marketing blitzes, over-paying to steal the best staff, pimping out urban offices to the nines , and hiring in a frenzy. It’s clear that the exuberance has returned to hiring, paying large compensation, poaching staff with big payouts and large fund raising events at lofty prices.

Turkey 302

Turkey Differentiation IP Technical Review 302

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

Well, if you have an option pool of only 6% and have many more execs to hire to build out your team you’re going to ask for more options to be created in the future. Of course investors care about controls (board, protective provisions, IP assignments, non-solicitation) but these are all pretty standard. Those are the big three.

Pre-Money Valuation 150

Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Post-Money Valuation Dilution 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2010

My original post was directed at hiring managers. It said that I didn’t believe it was a good idea to hire job hoppers. My view still stands – for many hiring managers a large factor in looking through resumes of somebody who is 30+ and has never worked somewhere for more than 18 months will be the job hopping element.

Venture Capital 285

Venture Capital Hiring Software Review Stock Options 285

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

Your highest priority right now is hiring the 1 or 2 people that are going to join your company and make a difference. I gave him the same advice I give nearly all over-worked, control-freak, do-everything-yourself startup founders: “Your number one priority isn’t any of these things. Seattle has its patrons. Elder Statesmen.

Seattle 317

Seattle Silicon Valley Technical Review Los Angeles 317

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2015

This also happens out of “startup weekends” where it’s unclear who contributed to the IP and where many people don’t continue with the idea beyond the first 30 days. If you want to start a company create a legal entity – it’s dirt cheap. Be formal with every employee contract – even with friends.

Vesting 150

Vesting Cofounder IP Stock Options 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

To interconnect these computers we needed IP-based telecommunications equipment build by the likes of Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks. While the costs of starting a tech company have plummeted it still does take money to hire a team, launch products and market oneself. Angels & Recycled Capital.

Silicon Valley 390

Silicon Valley Kansas City Startup Venture Capital 390

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

On the matter of founders, we agreed that having a sole founder (and then hiring the really smart people) creates a more stable environment than a 50/50 partnership. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) : network transfer protocol, basically it defines requirements for network communications.

Angel Investor 302

Angel Investor Cofounder Southern California .Net 302