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8 Questions You Should Ask Before You Join A Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

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8 Red Flags To Evaluate Before Pledging To A Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. If the company has been around for more than a couple of years, and still has no product or revenue flow, there better be a good explanation. When did this effort really start, including pivots?

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Equity-Only CTO and Equity-Only Developers

SoCal CTO

Understand where they were in terms of being able to pay or was this equity-only (sweat equity only). However, when I told him that the level of engagement required from me and the fact that equity-only development was required, he seemed to be a bit offended. There are cases where I will do equity-only deals.

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Equity for Early Employees in Early Stage Startups

SoCal CTO

Suppose further that he's going to cost $60k a year in salary and overhead, x 1.5 = $90k total. I've talked about this topic before in How Investors Think About Valuation of Pre-Revenue Startups. Same Value for Sweat Equity as Investment Dollars? Risk Premium on Equity Compensation? So subtract a third from 16.7%

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Maintain Your Startup Motivation While Working Harder

Startup Professionals Musings

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.

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8 Keys To Starting A Venture With Minimal Equity Loss

Startup Professionals Musings

With one of the many new tools , and a dose of sweat equity, you can create a website for almost nothing -- and you are on your way to success with ecommerce, your latest invention or personal services. Favor profitability over revenue and user growth. You will be in good company with the many legends who used this approach.

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Balance Your Focus Between Passion And Perspiration

Startup Professionals Musings

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Celebrate the ability to pay yourself a salary.