Both Sides of the Table

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Most Common Early Start-up Mistakes

Both Sides of the Table

To the best of my knowledge US law allows you to work on your own resources and in your own hours and let you personally own your IP. In some countries outside the US (the UK for example) employers can specify in an employment contract that ANY IP you develop while you’re employed by that company is owned by them.

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What to do About that Chip on Your Shoulder?

Both Sides of the Table

I guess my thoughts are that if you’re part of the country club you have a vested interest in protecting the existing order and that disruption happens more from those that are on the outside wanting to change the rules. Well – he had this awesome platform that was super technical – great IP. Would I hear him out?

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Bad Notes on Venture Capital

Both Sides of the Table

of the time I have no vested interest in having the debate. But founders these days seem strangely unfocused on finance and on terms that could hurt them even though we fought to the death about these same terms 10 years ago. These are all real conversations. I have them all the time. I’m bored of it. A few M&A transactions.

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Why Lawsuits Are On the Rise at Startups and What To Do About It

Both Sides of the Table

He had a stock option vesting program and had vested a significant amount of his stock but not all. He’s suing the company to get all of his stock options even though he signed a vesting agreement. Make sure you have standard vesting – even before your raise capital. At least one year cliff and 4-year vesting.

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A Few Key People Really Can Make a Huge Difference

Both Sides of the Table

It has the dual technology patrons and yet the consistent story I get is that they’re not actively out embracing the startup community, helping local successes emerge, getting comfortable with the symbiotic benefits of some employees going to startups that innovate at a different pace and then buying up local teams, talent & IP.

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Get Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor

Both Sides of the Table

You can give them 20% of the company with a vesting schedule over four years (this way if things don’t work out you don’t lose too much), and you add infinite value to your team. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) : network transfer protocol, basically it defines requirements for network communications.