Shark Tank: The 3 worst startup mistakes made on TV’s best reality show

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For a long time I’ve felt like I must be either the first or last entrepreneur to discover the ABC series Shark Tank.  For the uninitiated, it’s pure startup voyeurism: a company stands in front of a panel of five plutocrats, pitches, and either gets an investment or gets laughed off the stage. It wasn’t until… Read More…

Startupville: The hot new social game you play with your future

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It was a few mint juleps in to the evening when Joe Heitzeberg and I started talking about the common experiences of startuphood.  “I just maxed out one of my credit cards,” Joe told me, consulting his iPhone nonchalantly at 1 in the morning.  “I should get a badge for that.” We both looked at each other,… Read More…

Why your startup is half as effective as it should be

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When I founded Ontela with my friends Charles and Brian, we were all sick of big companies.  There were a lot of things we wanted to do differently, but one of the big ones was to build a company that wasn’t a faceless bureaucracy.  (Hindsight: good goal) A company where everyone was impactful.  (Absolutely!) A company where… Read More…

Six reasons why taxi drivers (and other startups) should not take venture capital

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I just got the following email. Subject: Small taxi company looking to expand Hello, I run a small taxi company outside of Boston Massachusetts. My community has been targeted for casino development and I am looking to expand my business. Could you possibly provide some advice on how to find venture capital? For someone who… Read More…

Why invest in TechStars class of 2011?

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“Tada!” Eleven-year-old Jude Sack, son of TechStars leader Andy Sack, swept his arms with a flourish.  It’s the halftime break between TechStars demo day presentations. A rope “magically” bisects young Jude’s middle, leaving the audience delighted and applauding. It was a decent metaphor for TechStars 2011.  When I first met them, Andy’s proteges were young… Read More…

The only wrong answer is 50/50: Calculating the co-founder equity split

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Guest Commentary: The question of equity brings out the most fundamental differences, perceptions, and values in an aspiring startup.  In fact the equity question, more than any other, may strangle a young company before it can even get started.  And that’s a damn good thing. But before we get in to that… Who’s a founder?… Read More…