Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

We hired IP specialists to review prior art. We grilled their IP attorneys. Did anybody hold patents that would prevent us from using this technology? I seldom hire patent attorneys during due diligence but this was too important. We hired OSHA regulatory lawyers.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence CTO Hire 418

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JANUARY 21, 2010

Shame about not getting it in legal writing that you owned the original IP. For a very small fee they can get your Delaware C corp registration, make sure that you have IP protection and ensure you didn’t make an early bumbling mistakes that you’ll pay for dearly in the next 7-10 years of hard work.

Southern California 318

Southern California Silicon Valley IP Stock Options 318

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FEBRUARY 23, 2015

There is a second set of career discussions I have even more frequently than my “angel yourself” advice but this type is almost never discussed publicly in blogs, which tend to emphasize only billion-dollar opportunities, 20-something technical founders and Silicon Valley elitism. I saved my main point for last.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Liquidation Preference Silicon Valley IP 150

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JULY 7, 2015

” I found myself nodding through all of it with quotes like, “Seed investing is the status symbol of Silicon Valley,” said Sam Altman. Founder fighting, IP lawsuits, high-profile resignations, trouble fund raising, bad product release, 409a complications, community is rebelling against the CEO: You.

Cap Table 150

Cap Table Cofounder Silicon Valley Startup 150

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OCTOBER 11, 2011

It’s just a fad propped up by the Silicon Valley elite marketing machine.” I talked to one company who had build really differentiated IP and had great customer traction. By now it had been in the press a bunch and there was a sort of “here we go again” attitude. “It will never work. ” Wow.

Startup 313

Startup Guerilla Silicon Valley Portfolio 313

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APRIL 25, 2011

There’s a line of thinking in Silicon Valley that you should build product businesses rather than services businesses. It’s how things are done across the country outside of Silicon Valley. You own the IP you create. This post originally appeared on TechCrunch. That’s the right answer for VCs.

Silicon Valley 332

Silicon Valley IP Dividend Finance 332

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MAY 5, 2011

Seattle should be the envy of any non Silicon Valley tech community in the country. They have the same trade-off decisions that you do about packing up and moving to Silicon Valley vs. staying and building locally. The ingredients are all here. Stating the obvious but you can’t will a region into success.

Seattle 317

Seattle Silicon Valley Technical Review Los Angeles 317