Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2015

Many employees forget that there isn’t even a market for startup stock, until after the company has gone public, which hasn’t happened positively to many companies in the last few years. Thus, options don’t “pay the mortgage” today, so to speak. business entrepreneur shares startup stock options'

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

The best entrepreneurs, and the best executives in mature businesses, have learned how to foster both high efficiency and high creativity, in a balance that keeps their business ahead of the pack on both sides of the equation. An even better alternative could be stock options, linked to the long-term success of the company.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Even though I’m a big proponent of becoming an entrepreneur, it is definitely not for everyone. There is no better way to feel the pressures and unknowns, as well as the excitement, of a startup than to work in one as an employee, and realize that the highs and lows are even greater for the founder. Then be one later.

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View from Seed

APRIL 27, 2020

I’m reading letters (public and private) every day from relentless entrepreneurs who have been forced to make some of the hardest decisions of their lives as they fight to keep their companies going. Some are staring into the abyss and they know they are not going to get out.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Nobody likes a downer, especially for a boss. Other sources see the potential as high as doubling productivity through motivation.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2018

One of the lessons I have learned over the years as a business executive, and now as a mentor to entrepreneurs, is that if you really want employees who enthusiastically take ownership of their work, you have to start treating them like owners, not renters. Give every employee the necessary degrees of freedom.

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Feld Thoughts

JANUARY 17, 2013

I embrace this – my goal is to help these entrepreneurs and management teams win. I’ve never really understood why the majority of stock option refresh grants are stacked grants mid-way through the granting process. I know compensation is an important part of the feedback / reward loop. Let me give an example.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2022

The new era of highly connected and interactive technology is changing not only how business employees interact with customers, but also how they interact with each other, and with their company. I am happy to see reports that young companies are leading the way in these trends, on both the customer and the employee side.

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Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

We received so much positive feedback from our This Week in Venture Capital show walking through valuation calculations & term sheets that we decided to do a Q&A show this week to address topics that entrepreneurs want to learn about. on the entrepreneur side of the table) when I raised at too high of a price. This is wrong.

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A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

The proper ambition for a tech entrepreneur should be to join the ranks of the great tech companies, or, at least, to create a profitable, independent company beloved by employees, customers, and shareholders. But what about the other employees? It is the nature of things to change; expecting otherwise is foolish.

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Acquisition Technical Review Stock Options Employee 120

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

I recently read a post over on VentureHacks titled, “ Top Ten Reasons Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers &# written by Scott Walker (who blogs on legal issues for entrepreneurs ). Forget to get around to setting up that Employee Stock Option Plan and want to be able to give the early guys their options at a low strike price?

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Startup Lessons Learned

MARCH 13, 2015

We live today in a golden age of writing and resources for entrepreneurs. Even 10 or 15 years ago, when I first cut my teeth as an entrepreneur, there were very few things to read. It wasn''t meant to be an encyclopedia or a work of theory, but it had one overriding virtue: it was useful to actual practicing entrepreneurs like me.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2017

The best entrepreneurs, and the best executives in mature businesses, have learned how to foster both high efficiency and high creativity, in a balance that keeps their business ahead of the pack on both sides of the equation. An even better alternative could be stock options, linked to the long-term success of the company.

Stock Options 141

Stock Options Incubator Framework Stock 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

With the current volatile economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is thus not viable for entrepreneurs already out of money. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. The right motivated employees dilemma. The dilemma is that these goals are usually mutually exclusive. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

One more key employee or one more investor will probably not turn the situation around. Calculate employee stock option values and vesting times, as well as salary. These questions are the key ones in every due diligence effort, always done by accredited investors, but almost never done by key employees and new partners.

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Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

Formal option plans for some. Some companies, especially those financed by angel or VC investors, have good, formal stock option plans with properly priced options set to reward all employees and managers in the event of a corporate sale. Each was surprised, pleased and effusive. Consider the kinds of exits.

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The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Dealing almost exclusively with first time startup founders, we tackle the following question with nearly all of our CEOs: How much equity should they give to the employees? In one instance, I told a CEO that we typically recommend a 15 percent stock options pool at seed/Series A stage. She rolled her eyes in disbelief.

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Equity Employee Option Pool Stock Options 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

The new era of highly connected and interactive technology is changing not only how business employees interact with customers, but also how they interact with each other, and with their company. I am happy to see reports that young companies are leading the way in these trends, on both the customer and the employee side.

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Stock Options Cloud Differentiation Social Media 319

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. Nobody likes a downer, especially for a boss. Other sources see the potential as high as doubling productivity through motivation.

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Product Stock Options Salary Leadership 322

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2014

The new era of highly connected and interactive technology is changing not only how business employees interact with customers, but also how they interact with each other, and with their company. I am happy to see reports that young companies are in the forefront of these trends, on both the customer trends and the employee trends.

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Entrepreneur Startup Stock Options Social Media 261

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup Founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. The right motivated employees dilemma. business dilemma entrepreneur founder Noam Wasserman' Marty Zwilling.

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Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 31, 2017

So that’s why we are excited about 2018 because there will be more and more entrepreneurs and businesses. Here’s something other entrepreneurs look forward to:: #1- Bring in a new team. I have spent a great deal of time studying the fundamentals of stocks, option trades, goal-setting, and public speaking.

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Up and Running

JANUARY 4, 2017

See Also: Bplans Quiz: Are You Entrepreneur Material? For an entrepreneur, challenges are almost guaranteed. Employee taxes. Successful entrepreneurs know that they cannot do it all. The savvy entrepreneur knows when and what to delegate. Hiring the right employees. See Also: How to Hire Your First Employee.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2019

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is thus not viable for entrepreneurs already out of money. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

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Feld Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

As first time entrepreneurs they did not create an employee options pool; we’ll fix that in a little while. They come up with two options: Hire Praveena as an employee and offer her stock options. Bring Praveena in as a founder and offer 10-20% of the company as stock.

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Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

Above all, don’t panic or demoralize your employees. It’s detrimental to tell your employees who have bought into the vision, mission and excitement of a startup to know that it’s for sale the day you start it. Great entrepreneurs shoot for 20X. Don’t demoralize your employees. You may just be along for the ride. .

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2017

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. The right motivated employees dilemma. The dilemma is that these goals are usually mutually exclusive. Marty Zwilling.

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Hockey Stick Cofounder Entrepreneur Liquidity Event 144

crowdSPRING Blog

OCTOBER 10, 2014

Why entrepreneurs should learn to say “I don’t know” more often – crowdspring.co/1pGXXeF. Stock option questions startup employees should ask | Business Insider – crowdspring.co/1n8lUje. The One, Life-Saving Change Workplaces Can Make For Their Employees – crowdspring.co/1r4ba0i.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2013

If you are an entrepreneur for the first time, or entering a new business area, it’s usually worth your time to assemble an Advisory Board of two or three executives who have travelled that road before. Yet you should offer a small monthly fee and/or some stock options to show you are serious about the position. Marty Zwilling.

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The Next Web

MARCH 2, 2014

You can’t crack your employees’ heads open and look inside (well you can, but legal will probably advise against it) so how do you uncover what drives individual employees to work hard, stay focused and be more creative? Are they seeking more money, stock options, a pat on the back? On the same page. Lend a hand.

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The Startup Magazine

JUNE 1, 2023

There are startups out there that are valued at a billion dollars, but because of employee salaries, assets, etc. Now we’re no longer spending employee manpower on a service that wasn’t helping accelerate the right type of growth we need. they still aren’t profitable. Have you ever walked into a traditional freight brokerage before?

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The Next Web

OCTOBER 8, 2015

As a rule, entrepreneurs are very protective of their equity, and try to keep 100 percent ownership for themselves. employees, partners) are appropriately motivated to help you succeed. stock, options, warrants). stock, options, warrants). Usually this is fine, provided that important key parties (e.g.,

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

It was a stock option incentive related “expense” but I bet you didn’t know that because in an era where we only read the headlines — they must be a train wreck losing billions. I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective? Stock option grants dilute your ownership in the company. What a disaster!

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Reid Hoffman

DECEMBER 10, 2020

Generally speaking, as investors and entrepreneurs, you want to go after ideas where, if you succeed, it transforms an industry or even the world. One of the central lessons I learned from the Airbnb founders, which I now try to convey to other entrepreneurs I work with, is the power of the design mindset.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

It’s the nature of most entrepreneurs, honestly. Another thing entrepreneurs f**k up? Most entrepreneurs would like to stick their heads in the sand or would rather hear fingernails on chalkboards (there still are chalkboards, aren’t there?) And it turns out that employee reviews matter. HR & Legal.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

If you really want to impress a startup founder as a potential employee, or you want to be a smart investor, you need to know the right questions to ask. You need to know this as a future employee, since it probably gates how long your new job will last. How much “skin” is already in the game? What traction can be measured today?

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