Common Mistakes - The 411 On Startups (tm)

6 Common Mistakes Founders Make That Ultimately Destroy Their Startups

Aug

2019

All too often, founder leadership issues are more the cause of new venture Read about these topics: 1. Autocratic leader who sets arbitrary goals with no input. 2. Co-founder and advisors are picked from loyal associates. 3. Founder minimizes the focus on formal plans and reviews. 4. Weekly staff meetings become working crisis sessions. 5. Founder ...

Business Name Mistakes That Investors Hate to See

Jul

2015

Just as with names of people, there isn’t any ultimate right or wrong, and every name has unique implications in different cultures, economies and markets. Names can imply strength, value, connection or friendliness, or they can set opposite tones. As you search for that perfect name, it pays to avoid the key mistakes that we investors and ...

To Clean Up Your Startup’s B.S., Bring Sales Into The Leadership Team | TechCrunch

Jun

2015

“Coin-operated idiots”. Even if no one says it out loud about sales people anymore, they might still think it. It’s the perception some startup CEOs have when it comes to their sales force (unless the founders have come from sales themselves). Just load ‘em up and watch them do their mindless best … like at ...

5 ‘IP’ Mistakes Start-ups Should Avoid

May

2012

Venture capitalists, angel investors and start-up lawyers these days tend to be obsessed with “intellectual property,” or IP. And for good reason: In the information economy, the core assets of a new venture are likely to be talented people, the IP they create, and little else. To maximize future value, founders should try to lay ...

Five lessons experienced entrepreneurs have learned

Oct

2011

There’s certainly no shortage of successful young entrepreneurs in business today. We hear daily of fast growing startups from New York City to Silicon Valley, headed by CEOs such as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Mason and Tim O’Shaughnessy. These creative minds have demonstrated the power of youthful tenacity and innovation, combined with a sharp eye for ...

8 ways to get automatically rejected by an angel investor

Sep

2011

I’ve started three companies, and now I’m an angel investor. So I’ve been on both sides of the table. There are lots of good articles out there about pitching, and surely everyone who pitches me has read some of them. Still, a few problems appear over and over again. If you’ve ever had to sort ...

10 lessons from a failed startup — VentureBeat

Apr

2009

A year and a half ago, my co-founder Dev Nag and I started an internet TV network for games called PlayCafe. Our ambitious plan was to run highly interactive game shows in which everyone was a contestant. Players could watch our hosts, answer questions, win prizes, form teams, call our studio, live chat, and run ...

We’re All Entrepreneurs

Sep

2008

My advice for young people from the West who are just entering the workforce is simple:* It is tough out there, and it’s only going to get tougher.* Forget about security.* Like it or not, even if you start out with a large corporation, you are going to be an entrepreneur.* Make peace with this ...

7 Teeth-Gnashing Mistakes I Made as an Entrepreneur

Sep

2008

Like many new young entrepreneurs, three years ago I thought I was pretty hot stuff. I had a few employees, raised some angel money… and then proceeded to make huge mistake after huge mistake. Of all my business blunders, these 7 are the ones that still make me gnash my teeth.

Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs — HBS Working Knowledge

Aug

2008

To prepare current students for the Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest, associate professor Connie Bagley gives a seminar in which she shares these war stories with the prospective entrepreneurs, in the form of a list of “top ten” legal mistakes often made by the unsuspecting. In addition, Bagley teaches the second year elective course, ...