Founders and Fundraising
Why Your Technical Cofounder Can’t Be Fired
“Why is Bob with the company?” I asked myself. “He just seems to sit in the corner doing nothing.” Bob was the founder of the startup I had just joined as VP Marketing. Bob was no longer the CEO, but, for some strange reason, he was still with the company, doing what looked to be…
Read MoreWhat’s The Worst Thing You Can Hear When You’re Raising Money?
You will quickly find that raising money is a numbers game. You have to knock on a lot of doors if you’re going to raise your funding. You’re going to hear lots of things from the investors you meet. But there’s one thing you may hear that’s probably the worst thing you can ever…
Read MoreWhat’s The One Thing No One Tells You About Selling Your Company?
You’ve just received a great offer to buy your company. Congratulations! You’re about to make a ton of money if you accept the offer. That’s fantastic. But there’s one thing you should understand before you close the deal. Watch this short video so you know what to expect. Read The Video Transcript Below: …
Read MoreWhy It’s Okay To Start Your Company During A Recession
It was surreal when we were raising money at the height of the Great Recession. Sand Hill Road was essentially closed for business for early stage startups for close to one year. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] I didn’t plan to raise money at the worst time…
Read MoreWhat Are The 2 Likeliest Mistakes You’ll Make Starting Your Company?
I’ve been coaching startup CEOs for several years now. There are two mistakes I see startup CEOs make time and time again. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The sad thing is these mistakes are entirely preventable. I’ll explain what these mistakes are and how you can prevent…
Read MoreHow Much Help Should You Expect From Your Investors?
If you go on just about any investor website, you’ll likely see the investor touting how they will help you recruit and build your team. The reality is buyer beware. In other words, your investor’s ability to help you may not be what you think it is. I’ll explain why in this short video. …
Read MoreWhat’s The Best Advice You Can Get About Fundraising?
I remember talking with my Dad about the absolute necessity of having Tier 1 investors for my company. I was an EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence ) at a San Francisco based VC fund at the time, and I had just formed my company. In fact, we hadn’t even started raising money. Yet here I was,…
Read MoreWhy Your Startup Doesn’t Need A Board Of Directors
“How many people do I need on my the board?” I asked our attorney Marcia when I was incorporating our company. “You need to have a board of directors, but it doesn’t have to be large. In fact, you can be the only member of your board when you’re starting out.” “Really,” I answered. “The…
Read MoreHow Do You Determine What Your Company Is Worth?
A few years ago a CEO of a pre-revenue startup reached out to me for guidance. The company was preparing to raise money. The CEO said to me during the initial consultation, “We’ve had a 409A valuation done on the company, and the valuation indicates the company is worth $20M. “We’re trying to raise $2M,…
Read MoreWhen Should You Replace Yourself As CEO?
Years ago, I was introduced to “William”, the CEO of newly formed startup. I think our first meeting was a lunch meeting, and William was trying to convince me to join him. I liked William on a personal level. However, I didn’t see him as a CEO, so I passed on the opportunity. That didn’t…
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