“I’m staring down the barrel of having to do a massive layoff at my company and tear down tons of work and decisions we’ve made. This feels awful. Is there any way to look at this situation as a positive, and if so, what should I be optimizing for (other than hair loss)?”
Advice
A Fair Pricing Model for Pre-Seed Rounds
The idea is essentially to raise the capital in tranches using multiple valuation caps, to minimize founder dilution, and to reward the earliest investors who aren’t just willing to commit but are willing to wire the capital too.
When is the Right Time to Give Up Equity?
I’m thinking about using some of my equity to make a big move in my startup, but I’m worried about losing too much equity in the process. When is the right time for me to give up some equity and when should I hang back and look for a better situation?
Covid and the Winter of Our Discontent
What is an entrepreneur (last time I looked, entrepreneurs are people, too, subject to all the slings and arrows of human experience) to do during a dark moment like this? How can an emerging business move forward when everything is locked down?
5 Keys to a Startup Team That Can Develop Any Market
You need to make sure that everyone on the team, from the clerical assistant to the chief financial officer, knows your vision and product, and doesn’t hesitate to actively engage and be an effective proponent with anyone who might be of value to the business. Here’s why…
Adopt a Decision Process that Works for the Long Term
Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the business). As a result, strategy decisions are made in the same ad-hoc crises style as operational decisions, and the business suffers. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem.
Where We Are Investing Now: Microbiome
Scientific exploration of the microbiome represents the opening of one of the greatest new areas of science in decades, perhaps centuries. It has the potential to rival Einstein’s impact on physics or the double helix on understanding biology. While young, this area shows historic potential across a dizzying expanse of health and human experience.
All Founders Make Bad Decisions — and That’s OK
Good hell, I feel like no matter what I do, I keep making the wrong decisions! I feel like I’m not cut out to be a Founder. There has to be someone out there that’s killing it while I’m hiring the wrong people, talking to the wrong investors, and going after the wrong customers. What am I missing here?
How Can E-Commerce Merchants Cut Through the Hype to Find Reliable SaaS Providers?
Over the last few years, the number of startups and solution providers in the technology space has been growing to handle everything from social media marketing and customer experience personalization to fraud prevention and shipping management. A market crowded with service providers can be good for e-commerce merchants, because it’s easier than ever to find solutions that work with your business model. But technology isn’t the only factor to consider. To make sure you’re picking vendors and partners who will stand the test of time and help you compete in a rapidly accelerating field, it’s also wise to consider each option’s funding structure, experience, and data resources.
The Importance of Conversion Rate Optimization
This post will help educate you on what CRO is, how to do it, and why this matters to your bottom line.
6 Tips to Avoid Being Blindsided by a New Competitor
Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. They know they need to act proactively but still are often blindsided by a new competitor coming out of the blue with a future they never imagined. Innovation driven by the next crisis is not leadership.