Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Think twice before you jump in.

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Intellectual property is a large element of most early-stage company valuations, and this value determines what percent of the company an investor will expect to get for his money. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level.

Intellectual Property 260

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 260

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

The average amount per startup has been $23,000, usually in the form of a convertible loan, rather than an equity investment. Their logic is that if your family won’t invest in you, then why should they?

Sweat Equity 274

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Startup Equity 274

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2015

Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup. Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. Think twice before you jump in.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

Intellectual property is a large element of most early-stage company valuations, and this value determines what percent of the company an investor will expect to get for his money. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level.

Intellectual Property 253

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 253

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

Intellectual property is a large element of most early-stage company valuations, and this value determines what percent of the company an investor will expect to get for his money. Investors like to see that you have committed personal funds as well as “sweat equity,” and they like to see real progress at this level.

Intellectual Property 222

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 222

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

The average amount per startup has been $23,000, usually in the form of a convertible loan, rather than an equity investment. Their logic is that if your family won’t invest in you, then why should they?

Sweat Equity 346

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Equity Venture Capital 346

socialmatchbox.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

If you post up an ad to an online job board asking for someone to join your very high risk early stage startup company the odds of getting someone who decent are slim to none. Another option is sweat equity. Motivation to work for sweat equity is something else that founders tend to take for granted.

Part-Time VPE 41

Part-Time VPE Sweat Equity DC Washington 41

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2014

As early-stage entrepreneurs, it’s natural for you to focus on you – what you’re doing, what you want, and what you need. You know how to bootstrap a business, build it from nothing, and burn sweat-equity for long hours to push your dreams to reality. The best way to increase your influence is to give it away.

Leadership 258

Leadership Sweat Equity Bootstrapping Early Stage 258

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2013

The intent of this question is to determine the level of commitment of founders, both cash and “sweat equity,” and how much others have already invested into this plan. If the runway is less than six months, with no new source signed, both you and the startup are at risk. How much “skin” is already in the game?

Due Diligence 253

Due Diligence Sweat Equity Intellectual Property Burn Rate 253

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

As early-stage entrepreneurs, it’s natural for you to focus on you – what you’re doing, what you want, and what you need. You know how to bootstrap a business, build it from nothing, and burn sweat-equity for long hours to push your dreams to reality. The best way to increase your influence is to give it away.

Sweat Equity 244

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Early Stage 244

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

As early-stage entrepreneurs, it’s natural for you to focus on you – what you’re doing, what you want, and what you need. You know how to bootstrap a business, build it from nothing, and burn sweat-equity for long hours to push your dreams to reality. The best way to increase your influence is to give it away.

Sweat Equity 256

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Early Stage 256

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2015

As early-stage entrepreneurs, it’s natural for you to focus on you – what you’re doing, what you want, and what you need. You know how to bootstrap a business, build it from nothing, and burn sweat-equity for long hours to push your dreams to reality. The best way to increase your influence is to give it away.

Leadership 120

Leadership Sweat Equity Bootstrapping Early Stage 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2012

The intent of this question is to determine the level of commitment of founders, both cash and “sweat equity,” and how much others have already invested into this plan. If the runway is less than six months, with no new source signed, both you and the startup are at risk. How much “skin” is already in the game?

Due Diligence 244

Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate Intellectual Property 244

Up and Running

DECEMBER 23, 2019

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs in the early stages who are considering their funding options? I had already been saving since my early 20s for my business, so when it came time to open up shop, I had the means to do so. Sweat Equity. “I Years’ Worth of Savings. Using Revenues to Fund Growth.

Finance 92

Finance Sweat Equity Bootstrapping Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

The intent of this question is to determine the level of commitment of founders, both cash and “sweat equity,” and how much others have already invested into this plan. If the runway is less than six months, with no new source signed, both you and the startup are at risk. How much “skin” is already in the game?

Due Diligence 237

Due Diligence Sweat Equity Intellectual Property Entrepreneur 237

Gust

DECEMBER 8, 2013

The intent of this question is to determine the level of commitment of founders, both cash and “sweat equity,” and how much others have already invested into this plan. If the runway is less than six months, with no new source signed, both you and the startup are at risk. How much “skin” is already in the game?

Due Diligence 174

Due Diligence Sweat Equity Intellectual Property Burn Rate 174

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 12, 2016

In the early stages of business, sweat equity can often be a good substitute for cash. If you cannot afford recruiting a developer who can build the service for you, an alternate is to pitch your idea to smart developers who can serve as your cofounder and earn an equity in lieu for their work. Find a cofounder.

Cofounder 100

Cofounder Sweat Equity Startup Seed Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2010

The intent of this question is to determine the level of commitment of founders, both cash and "sweat equity,” and how much others have already invested into this plan. If the runway is less than six months, with no new source signed, both you and the startup are at risk. How much "skin” is already in the game?

Due Diligence 229

Due Diligence Sweat Equity Intellectual Property Startup 229

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Especially in early rounds — pre-seed and seed— when there are limited sales metrics and only early signs of product-market fit, these advisors help complete “the package” so to speak, providing a useful industry reference to investors and filling in the gaps in domain expertise that are common in disruptive tech-first founding teams.

Advisory Board 48

Advisory Board Sweat Equity Marketing Vertical 48

BeyondVC

APRIL 15, 2011

OK, I may be biased having been an early stage VC based out of New York since 1996, but I must say that the vibe, energy, and people at the Techstars NYC Demo Day event yesterday was simply awesome. And with that, it was clear to see how much these startups could accomplish with so little capital and just sweat equity.

New York 129

New York Sweat Equity Marketing Startup 129

BeyondVC

APRIL 15, 2011

OK, I may be biased having been an early stage VC based out of New York since 1996, but I must say that the vibe, energy, and people at the Techstars NYC Demo Day event yesterday was simply awesome. And with that, it was clear to see how much these startups could accomplish with so little capital and just sweat equity.

New York 129

New York Sweat Equity Marketing Startup 129

infochachkie.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

At the early stages of your company’s life, you cannot rely on disinterested, hired guns to define your company’s key tasks. John is currently a partner at Rincon Venture Partners , a venture capital firm investing in early stage web-based businesses, and is a Co-Founder of RevUpNet , a performance-based online marketing agency.

Equity 40

Equity Silicon Valley Cofounder Technical Review 40

Small Business Force

JANUARY 25, 2013

you think you're the only one operating that way, think again.It's one of the big problems in early stage companies. Too many entrepreneurs end up not only investing their life savings but continuing to also invest "sweat equity" while paying employees, suppliers and landlords.

Sweat Equity 37

Sweat Equity Salary Early Stage America 37

Tim Keane

APRIL 12, 2006

Fewer investors will take common stock in early stage transactions. The percentage owned by the entrepreneur after the investment has been made is the “sweat equity” that represents the work the entrepreneur has done to get to this point. Second, the fundamental question about the percentage for the equity is value.

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Valuation Sweat Equity Common Stock 60

philipsmith.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

While there have been times in the last dozen or so years, usually during times of venture capital excess, that cash to founders, early-stage executives and other key employees has matched regular market compensation (still with the upside of the equity), this is not true in the vast majority in the start-up game. Predictions.

Silicon Valley 40

Silicon Valley Equity Technical Review Recapitalization 40

Austin Startup

JUNE 26, 2019

As we self-funded on a tiny amount of cash, sweat equity and vision, we also worked in a methodical manner, moving the ball down the field week by week. And, there were unexpected delays and conflicts from some incredible innovation partners committed to childcare and early childhood education (ECE). Get you some of that!

Silicon Valley 54

Silicon Valley Startup B2C Sweat Equity 54

Gust

MAY 24, 2012

Nevertheless, these preferences aren’t intended to last forever.

IPO 159

IPO Equity Common Stock Stock 159

YoungUpstarts

JULY 31, 2012

In 1775, she became the first woman to have a paper published under her name and would serve as the chief editor for the Maryland Journal in the early stages of the American Revolution. Walker is one of the most amazing women on this list, building a vast business empire with little more than sweat equity and a great idea.

South Carolina 188

South Carolina Sweat Equity Green Chicago 188

techcrunch.com

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Been there Done that This is very depressing for all future founders, or even currently early stage founders. link] Matt Merriam It’s been clear for sometime that the venture model, particularly early stage venture, is not the best approach for funding tech startups, but the hangover from the Internet days still lingers.

Venture Capital 62

Venture Capital Technical Review Sweat Equity Valuation 62