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Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Inside the Founder Institute
’Slowly Reveal Complexity in your #Product’ by @gzicherm- In this talk from the Founder Institute, Gabe Zichermann, author of "Game-Based Marketing," discusses how to use game thinking and mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Advice: Best Bank for Startup?
Recommended Resources:
What a Facebook IPO Means for Silicon Valley [GigaOM]
Startup Lessons from 17 Hard-Hitting Quotes in "Moneyball" [OnStartups]
Upcoming Events:
Sydney Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 16, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Sydney, NSW
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Benjamin Ranck and Matt Cameron.
Guadalajara Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
I have used many of the large law firms (Wilson Sonsini, Cooley, MoFo, etc.) and several sole-practitioner attorneys. While the large firms are good for some tasks, they are outrageously expensive, and I have used very experienced sole-practitioners for contract work at about $225/hour (MUCH more cost effective than large firms). Unfortunately, my 'go-to' attorney for this is no longer available, so I am looking for a new one. Ideally, experience with reviewing partner/alliance contracts for open source software, and based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Please share on this board if you know of someone good for this legal work.
Bill was an early investor in one of my companies, and about the best thing I can say about him is that I learned a lot about just how damaging a bad investor can be. It's almost a cliche to hear investors say "I'll treat you right, because my reputation is everything." Obviously Bill Bryant doesn't feel this way, because not only is he incompetent, he's dishonest. He was destructive to the company, by forcing the founders to accept bad advice, undermined our sale in preference for his preferred acquirer, and in the process killed off a potential bidding war, delayed the company by forcing the wrong strategy and even forcing the wrong technology, causing us to miss the right time to sell, and then later bragged about it as if it was a successful result!
I'm sure it was successful for him, because I think he made out on a couple side deals as well.
I've seen him tell outright lies with a straight face, even when he had to know that I knew he was lying. Apparently he didn't care, or he's so used to it he lost track of the fact that I knew the truth.
Private: 1832 Chars
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: The Application Deadline for the New York Founder Institute's Spring Semester is this Saturday, February 4th. If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in New York City, then apply today.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
’The Devil is in the Details of Your Term Sheet’ by @BarrySilbert- In this talk from last year’s New York Founder Institute, Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of Second Market shares insights into the funding process he gained from angel investing and raising several rounds of financing.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Angels vs. P VC vs. Private Equity
Recommended Resources:
How to Build Your Startup Without Learning Code [VentureBeat]
Getting Your Product in Front of a VC [Jeff Clavier via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
Sydney Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 16, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Sydney, NSW
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Benjamin Ranck and Matt Cameron.
Guadalajara Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper .
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
I first pitched the pre-seed fund (up to $150k) back in October 2011. I was told the Pre-Seed fund "doesn't invest in technology development - only technology enhancement". Although I was developing my alpha via bootstrapping, they said a demo/alpha wouldn't suffice that I needed to be "live". Met again in December and was told not only would I have to be live but would need a client. This for the PRE Seed fund. WTF? When we met again last week, they freaked out because I'm looking to raise $500K in a seed round and they only provide up to $150k so "where was I going to get the rest of the money from?" They want me to be live, launched, and have a client but it can't cost more than $150k to get there. Don't waste your time.