General Primers - The 411 On Startups (tm)

Access To Capital — By: Karen Letain & Ken Kousky

Aug

2015

A really good primer on Angel investing equally applicable to angels and entrepreneurs. This was found at http://bluewaterangels.com/resources/. ACCESS TO CAPITAL 2 What’s Inside this eBook? Chapter 1 : Historical Overview………………………………………………………4 Where are the jobs?………………………………………………………………………4 No startups, no jobs……………………………………………………………………….5 No funding, no startups…………………………………………………………………..6 Only winners count………………………………………………………………………..7 Bring forth the gazelles…………………………………………………………………..9 The policy dilemma………………………………………………………………………10 What we need……………………………………………………………………………..11 ...

Startup Industry Insights from First Round Capital

Jul

2015

According to First Round Capital, a top venture capital firm located in Philadelphia, PA, women founders outperform men. In a report published by the firm yesterday, First Round Capital revealed the finding as one of ten major insights it has learned over the past ten years the VC firm has been in operation. Called the ...

Top 12 lies angels tell

May

2012

Angel investors are among the leading sources of funding for many technology firms. Knowing how these investors think and evaluate a possible investment is therefore vital for any tech start up seeking funding. With a nod to Garage Venture’s Guy Kawasaki and his Top 10 Lies of Venture Capitalists, I offer my Top 12 Lies Angels Tell. ...

Sowing the Seeds of a Successful Startup — Critical Questions for Every Entrepreneur

May

2012

The brilliant, unique idea: whether it serendipitously strikes in the middle of the night or emerges out of frustration over a problem you have experienced, it is a precious seedling with the potential to blossom into a thriving new business. When you are an entrepreneur, this singular idea will become the center of your universe ...

Getting Access to the Old Boys’ Club (how to approach a VC)

May

2012

Many VC websites have a tab that will tell you that you can submit your business plans to enquiries@vc_company.com or some similar generic email address. But does it really work? Can you really send your business plan over the transom and expect to get a positive response? The short answer is “no” – don’t waste ...

What do you need to do before you quit your job to form a startup company? : Startup Company Lawyer

Apr

2009

There are various things a potential founder of a new startup company needs to do before quitting their job. The article recommends:** Review all agreements with your current employer** Return confidential information to your employer** Limit pre-resignation activities** Prepare for the exit interview** Stay on good terms** Don’t forget about stock options and benefits** Consult ...

How to Start a Startup

Oct

2008

You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible. Most startups that fail do it because they fail at one of these. A startup that does all three will probably succeed.

Key Topics: CES: Stanford GSB

Sep

2008

Entrepreneurs approaching venture capitalists must have a business plan; however, it should be short and concise, rather than presenting the business in full detail because venture capitalists will conduct exhaustive due diligence. The plan should spell out the amount of funding the entrepreneur is seeking but should not detail the terms.

Paul Graham, Founding Partner Y Combinator — Essays of Interest to Entrepreneurs

Sep

2008

Paul Graham made his fortune selling his ecommerce platform Viaweb to Yahoo for $49 million in 1998. More recently, he has become something of a 21st century messiah for tech company founders. His numerous essays about tech startup strategy, along with his work as a founding partner of Y Combinator, have allowed him to influence ...