Founders and Fundraising
How Do You Deal With Feeling Like A Fraud?
I felt like the biggest fraud in the world. My co-founders, “Jim” and John”, had just quit three months after we started the company. John said, in his parting comment to me, “I know better how to build a analog IC company than you do.” In other words, John was saying, “We don’t need you.”…
Read MoreAre You More Powerful Than The Board Of Directors?
Do you know about the theory of rational thought? The theory of rational thought has at its core the basic assumption that people will act in a logical manner. Now, if that was true, then a great startup CEO would have much more power than a board of directors because a great startup CEO is…
Read MoreWhat’s The Best Way To Start Your Pitch?
You have, maybe, 7 seconds to make an emotional connection with investors. If you fail this critical step, your window of opportunity is gone, and it gets infinitely more difficult for you to raise your funding. Most startup CEOs start their pitches slowly, and lose their investors attention, and their chance to raise funding. Worse…
Read MoreWhat Books Do You Recommend For CEOs?
Since I’m biased, and you asked, you could start by reading my book, “Learn How to Take a Punch: Building Your Startup Isn’t a Marathon, It’s a Prizefight.” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. While every startup’s journey is unique, I noticed similar patterns in the startups I’ve been…
Read MoreProtecting Employee Stock Options From Dilution
Your employees are going to be really worried about their stock options being diluted after a round of funding. This is especially true in bad economic times when you might take a down round with heavy dilution. However, there is a secret weapon you can employ to reduce the dilution you and your employees will…
Read MoreHow To Raise Money In A Tough Environment
Raising money is never easy for an early stage startup.. However, raising money in a tough environment is really hard. However it is doable. I should know. I raised my company’s initial funding of $12 million during the toughest startup fundraising environment of the last 50 years; The Great Recession. And I’ve helped several entrepreneurs…
Read MoreHow Do You Determine Your Co-Founder’s Salary?
“I think our salaries should be different,” “Jim”, my co-founder, said to me and “John”, my other co-founder, “You should be paid the most, but, I think we should all have the amount of equity.” Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. That was not the response from Jim…
Read MoreWhat Do You Tell Investors When A Co-Founder Quits?
“What’s your plan?” That’s what “Raul”, one of our two large investors, asked me after I let him know that I was going to fire “Randy”, one of my co-founders. Yes, he also asked my why I was firing Randy. I’ll get back to that later. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I…
Read More5 Fatal Decisions You Don’t Want To Make
I walked into the office space, and there was no one there. It was just a bunch of empty cubicles. The space was dimly lit, and the ceilings were low. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “My god, this space is depressing,” I said to my co-founder “Randy”.…
Read MoreShould You Ask An Advisor To Invest?
“I would like you to invest $50,000 in my startup,” “Peter” said to me. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Peter and I had been introduced a few weeks earlier, and I’d met with him a couple of times. I really liked what Peter was doing, and I…
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