Legal Nuts n’ Bolts for Entrepreneurs and Startups

If you are thinking about starting up or are an early stage startup, you have to conserve every penny.  It’s not just about bootstrapping anymore.  It’s about making your very limited dollars go farther.  You also have to use your time wisely and milk useful information out of very interaction.  You have to move fast! What this often times means though is that you cut out much needed legal advice or don’t pause long enough to consider the... Read More

Formalizing Relationships with Co-Founders

I am frequently asked by entrepreneurs how they should structure their relationship with a co-founder and when the right time to do that is.  This is, quite possibly, the second most popular topic of conversation when I meet and chat with entrepreneurs.  In this post, I will go over when to formalize a relationship, if at all, why it’s a good idea, and how it’s done. Many people comment on the importance of the “team” in a startup and why... Read More

Monthly Office Hours

When I started Sophos Law, I knew that I loved meeting with new people and hearing about their ideas.  I also knew that I had to reverse the general opinion that most lawyers and law firms are inaccessible to entrepreneurs and startups and that lawyers are boring, stodgy, and unapproachable.  So, I made a commitment to (1) be accessible; (2) be affordable; (3) be responsive; and (4) educate entrepreneurs to be smarter consumers of legal services. ... Read More

Bloggers Block and Why I Don’t Blog as Much as I Should

I have now had this blog for over a year but I haven’t been able to find a rhythm to write regular posts, or even posts when a topic pops to mind.  I have a lot of respect for the startup community bloggers out there that manage to always make time to blog because I have failed miserably so far. However, I plan on turning over a new leaf starting now.  Beginning with March and each month hereafter, I plan on writing at least 1-2 posts a week on... Read More

What’s in Your Startup’s Name?

I recently read an article in the Bar Bulletin, a print publication of the King County Bar Association, by Jessica Talmadge, the award-winning designer and owner of the graphic design firm, Talmadge.  It got me thinking about one of the most important things that startups (and lawyers!) don’t do very well:  branding. If you are anything like me, when the spark strikes and you get that brilliant new product or service idea, you start thinking... Read More

Second Annual Seattle 2.0 Awards Recap

I attended the second annual Seattle 2.0 Awards last night a the Elliott Hall at Bell Harbor and wanted to share my experience with those of you who were unable to make it. It was a fun and fairly informal event with some attendees dressing up a little more than others.  The venue was fun and minimally decorated.  There was an area for the award winners to get their pictures taken with the presenters after receiving each award and there were plenty... Read More

What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From the Amish

According to Erik Wesner’s new book, Success Made Simple:  An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive, over 95% of Amish businesses are around five years after startup.  That’s compared to 80% for nationwide entrepreneurship program alumni and the nationwide average of 50%.  So what is it that the Amish are doing right? Well, the “secrets” of their success aren’t really all that surprising: 1.  Hard work and long... Read More

Seattle: Hotbed of Entrepreneurship

Facebook officially announced this morning that it will be opening a new engineering office in the Seattle area.  As the Seattle P-I reported, where the office will be exactly is up for grabs, although it appears Seattle has a leg up over Bellevue. Not a bad week for Seattle considering that Michael Arrington, the founder of TechCrunch, also announced that he will be splitting his time between Silicon Valley and his new home here in Seattle, in order... Read More

Rules of the VC Game, Part 1: The Path to the Door is Important

Do you think you have a killer idea for a new business?  Do you think that’s enough to secure funding for your idea?  Think again.  As the interview with Jeffrey Bussgang, the founder of Upromise shows, the old adage that VCs bet on the jockey, not the horse still holds true. While spending a lot of time on your cutting edge product or service is important, networking and who you know is more important, at least if you would like to secure... Read More

Three Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

Many of my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances ask me about how to find a good attorney in practice areas in which I do not practice (like family law, estate planning, and defense). The conversation typically turns into some form of referral to someone I know and trust and whom I believe can assist. I suspect many of you out there do the same thing, that is, ask a friend if they have a good lawyer to refer you to instead of searching blindly.... Read More