Be A Badass Through Influence, Not Authority

I just finished reading Donald Desantis’ article, “Everything I Need to Know About Startups, I Learned from a Crime Boss.” If you haven’t read it, you need to read it.  It’s flat out awesome.  Of all the great advice that Don passes on though, there is one thing that really resonated with me the most and that is being a badass by influencing others. Let’s face it, the tech startup world is noisy.  There’s lots and lots of noise in all types of spaces — from social apps to cloud analytics, games to dating sites.  So, how can you be a badass startup?  Well, as Don points out, you want to influence; you want others…

What Do You Do?

When you meet someone new, a very typical entry point to the conversation is the question, “What do you do?”  Many see this as casual and friendly conversation; however, entrepreneurs should see this is an opportunity.  This very simple question is the introduction to your elevator pitch and is the hook that will bait the listener — who could be a Google or Microsoft exec, an investor, or someone able to connect you to strategic resources — into a longer discussion about your startup.  So, how do you answer this question? First, you have to seize the opportunity.  You need to realize that no conversation is a casual conversation.  As a startup, you have to…

How Paying Your Lawyer With Equity Works

I get asked a lot about whether I accept equity for legal services,as I’m sure many other startup lawyers do. In this article, we explore the equity-for-legal-services phenomenon by looking at how it came to be, why it’s used and how it works.

The Basics of Non-Disclosure Agreements

The acronym “NDA” is commonplace in most technology circles. Many entrepreneurs use them but often times with out knowing why. In this post we review the basics of non-disclosure agreements — what they are, what they’re for, why they are important and the different types.

3 Key Elements of a Healthy Startup Ecosystem

Creating a relevant, sustainable, and successful startup ecosystem, i.e. a healthy startup community, is a very delicate balancing act amongst numerous sometimes competing interests. In this article, I discuss the three key elements for creating and sustaining a healthy startup ecosystem.

What is Traction?

Traction, traction, traction. Are you tired of hearing that term but not getting a straight answer about what it really means? Well, you came to the right place! In this article we discuss “traction,” what it is, what it means, how to use it and why it’s important.

How to Deliver the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Everyone knows that if you are a startup, you have to have your elevator pitch down cold. It’s what entices prospective partners and investors. Deliver a good one – you’re on your way up. Deliver a bad one and it’s the basement for you. This post presents the elements and content of the perfect pitch so you can make a great first impression.

The Obligatory “Corporation or LLC, DE or [Your State Here]” Post

No matter how many times this issue has been discussed, this topic is one of the most frequently asked about. In this post, we discuss why this topic keeps coming up with every new crop of entrepreneurs and some questions to consider in making your decision about where to form and what entity to select.