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Author Archives: Dave Berkus
What would you do if told to “fail fast?”
Here’s a question that should strike close to home. Professional investors like to quote this mantra to anyone who will listen. “Fail fast,” they say. But what if you believe so strongly in your budding enterprise that this seems to … Continue reading
Investors, your board, and you: Who controls strategy?
You’re building a company from your vision and a passion, and lots of people are going to tell you that you have this or that wrong, and that it just won’t work. Business plans rarely survive market contact The truth … Continue reading
Missed Expectations and The Eighty Percent Acquisition Rule
Eighty percent of all businesses purchased by another company or by a new investor-operator fail to meet the stated expectations of the buyer after one year. As with the fifty percent rule discussed last week (fifty percent of startups fail … Continue reading
Risk, insanity, and the 50% startup rule
Fifty percent of all businesses formed fail within the first two years. There are many variations of this number since there are a number of ways to measure failure. But the number is a startling reminder that creating a business … Continue reading
Posted in Ignition! Starting up
2 Comments
Should I license my IP, sell a royalty stream, or just produce products?
This week we contacted royalty licensing expert, the well-respected Arthur Lipper, asking the magic question. Why are you so strongly sold on royalty licensing as the most effective way to finance a tech-based early stage company? I asked him five … Continue reading
Posted in Raising money
7 Comments
Can a revolutionary concept be too late to market?
Too many startup businesses, especially in the technology world, are built upon brand new concepts that have not yet been proven in the field against products from other companies that already have revenues flowing. As a rule, creating a product … Continue reading
Can a “good-hearted” entrepreneur succeed in business?
People argue over whether an entrepreneur with a sense of fairness, a desire for collegiality, a want to share the profits can succeed in the long run within a business world full of lions and tigers that eat timid entrepreneurs … Continue reading
Are you wasting money filing patents?
I’ve been working with early stage companies and their intellectual property protection plans for years. But only recently did I read a clear document on the risks and rewards of patent strategy. Thanks to Russ Krajec, a patent attorney, for … Continue reading
Do you want to control your business destiny?
There is nothing quite as thrilling in business as igniting a startup and watching it blossom. Especially when starting a company with personal savings or money from relatives and friends, early signs of success are intoxicating. Each new customer, each … Continue reading
The most satisfying life journey is never about the money.
Allow me to reminisce. This is the final post of this cycle. Next week we return to the start of the journey, focusing upon the “what and how” to ignite a successful enterprise from start-up to exit. But, for this … Continue reading
Posted in The liquidity event and beyond
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