Founders and Fundraising
The Five Signs You’re Not Thinking Big Enough
“Why are you worried about selling your company?” I asked Fred. “You’re just getting started, and you’re worried about selling (your company)? That doesn’t feel good to me.” If you’re serious about raising your funding, join Zero to Pitch Gold now and get expert feedback on your pitch this week. I had just met Fred,…
Read MoreThe 7 Things You Don’t Know About Working With VCs
“Brett, I’m going to be leaving the VC fund,” Dave, the partner I had been working with as Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), said to me. If you’re serious about raising your funding, join Zero to Pitch Gold now and get expert feedback on your pitch this week. I nodded my head, and then said, “Okay,…
Read MoreIs Starting Your Own Company Worth it?
“It’s a mug’s game, then?” Dave, one of the hosts of the podcast Jeroen, my co-founder and VP Engineering, and I were being interviewed on, said to us. If you’re serious about raising your funding, join Zero to Pitch Gold now and get expert feedback on your pitch this week. I had just finished telling…
Read MoreHow Technical Do You Need To Be As A Startup CEO?
I’ll never forget my co-founder and VP Engineering, “John”, telling me (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I don’t see what value you bring to the company.” Is something wrong with your pitch and you don’t know how to fix it? Don’t stay stuck. Join Zero to Pitch Gold and fix your pitch. I was focused on…
Read MoreHow Do You Do Market Research For Your Startup?
Back in the day, long before the internet and ChatGPT, I would drive over to Stanford University to do my market research. The business school had a really nice library where I could find just about everything I wanted. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. This would be…
Read MoreHow Do You Divide Equity When You & Your Co-founders Are Investing?
It’s great that you and your cofounder are both investing more money in your company. That’s a sign of true commitment. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Let me ask you a question? Why is your money worth more than your cofounder’s money? The answer is obvious.…
Read MoreHow Do You Decide Your Team’s Salary & Stock
“He needs to understand that asking for more equity is like pulling on a string,” I said to Adolfo, my co-founder and VP Marketing. We were reviewing what offer package we should give a potential employee, and Adolfo was indicating the applicant wanted more equity. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can…
Read MoreWhy You Should Be Generous With Your Team
A few years ago, I was in the first board meeting for a startup that just closed its initial venture funding. The company’s founder, “Ray”, had been working with me since the company’s inception, and he asked me to be on the board. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click…
Read MoreHow Do You Prepare For Investor Due Diligence?
“We won’t talk to anyone you don’t want us to,” “Raul”, a potential investor in my startup, said to me. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. I nodded my head. I had already given Raul a list of names, as he requested, as reference checks. In addition, my…
Read MoreWhat Titles Should You Give Your Technical Team?
I was fortunate to be involved with one of the most successful companies ever formed in the chip industry, Maxim Integrated Products. Maxim grew to over $2 billion/year in revenue, with net margins approaching 40%. It was a cash machine. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The company…
Read More