“Should I be raising funds?”
Friday, 07 August 2015
It’s a question asked so frequently, in a variety of different ways, that it finally occurred that it would be a good discussion to have. Should you be raising money? Of course the cop out is to reason that of course one should; you have revenue, customers, and you’re growing but you just can’t get
- Published in Raising Capital
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How to Determine the Equity to Give Your Startup Team
Monday, 13 July 2015
The equity granted to your team speaks volumes more than merely being part of the compensation. When building a committed, invested, passionate team, something which should be your paramount priority as a founder, nothing matters more than HOW you accomplish this. Is your team comprised of investors or employees? I want you to first
- Published in Startups
Austin is Where Tech Comes to Life
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
With another SXSW well behind us and the inevitable cries that the conference has lost something since it has failed again to discover the next Twitter or Facebook, I find myself considering bigger picture questions: Why are so many moving to Austin? Why did I move to Austin? Is it finding the next Unicorn that
- Published in Advertising, Austin, Industry, Insights / Research, Local, Startups
How Do You Find and Engage Good Mentors?
Friday, 24 April 2015
Correct me if I’m wrong but you need a mentor that is passionate about your space, invested (personally not financially) in your vision and the opportunity, and all but on your team. The least effective mentors are those that are assigned by Universities or Incubators as though just anyone who knows more than you do will
- Published in Startups
Perfect Startup Founding Team: The Butcher, The Baker, and The Candlestick Maker
Friday, 10 April 2015
The question of the perfect team is timeless and yet the answer seems obvious as most successful startups are renown with their famous duo, or sole founder. Larry Page and Sergey Brin come to mind. Mark Zuckerberg seems to have done it alone, no? That media fervor for the unicorn startups and their celebrity founders lead
- Published in Startups
The Tale of Two Founders
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Yesterday, famed New York Times cartoonist Kaamran Hafeez featured a sketch that has garnered quite a bit of attention in the startup community. Implied by one “faction” (a term I’m using not to be critical but to distinguish) to offer a tongue-in-cheek jab at founders and investors who arguably embrace market share and scalability over
- Published in Startups
The Pitch Deck Slide That Can Make you Look Like a Moron
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Okay so perhaps implying that you might be a moron is a bit harsh but let’s be realistic, as a startup in need of funding, if you fail to secure that funding simply because you haven’t done your homework or your failure to communicate effectively, you’re a moron. I’ve explored in the past, quite a
- Published in Raising Capital, Startups