There are two key factors to consider in order to be great startup advice from outside experts: Pick the right team, and always know what you want before you ask.

Advisory Board compensation is an important consideration. How much is right? Does this change over time? Is there a vesting period?

The following is a list of six items you should consider addressing when launching and funding a startup:

Many founders don’t consider this one until it’s too late. The excitement and adrenaline of getting started leads to a “kumbaya atmosphere” where all things are equal. This spills over into salaries. Sooner or later, the amount of time, effort and energy expended by the partners is no longer equal, but their salaries are. Tensions begin to rise.

The reality of life when it comes to business partnerships, and what’s at stake if your key man is removed from the company.

Investors look for the right team with a great product, knowing that the great product will never come to market if the team is not right. So the perfect entrepreneurial team needs to possess certain technical capacities, such as finance, marketing, engineering, design, and operations. However, it also needs to possess the right personalities that mesh well with one another in a startup setting.

What’s ‘critical’ about Critical Path Analysis? The Critical Path is the sequence of steps that determine the minimum time needed for an operation.

Founder contributions are critical to entrepreneurial startups. There are three major contributions that founders provide to startup businesses: Money, Commitment, and Effort

Read more…

If you’re not included in an investor’s network and have never met them in person, face it – you’re a cold contact. How can you prevent your pitch from being condemned to the trash? Review this guideline before you email investors.

Starting a scalable company is a daunting task. This will challenge even the most experienced management team. The team’s success requires a complete understanding of the issues and risks it faces in its quest to succeed.