To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share a favorite video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics. This week, we again present Phil Libin, co-founder and CEO of Evernote, and a bright and engaging entrepreneur.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share a favorite video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics. This week, we again present Jack Dorsey, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Twitter and Co-founder and CEO of Square, and indeed an extraordinary entrepreneur.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share a favorite video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics. This week, we present Steve Balmer, the CEO of Microsoft and an impressive, energetic leader.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video presentation or interview of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed. This week, we again present Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, a partner at Greylock and a brilliant entrepreneur.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share a favorite video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics. This week, we present Bing Gordon, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, the Chief Creative Officer at Electronic Arts from 1998 to 2008, and a very smart investor.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a favorite video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching a venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share a favorite video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics. This week, we present Paige Craig, the founder and CEO of BetterWorks and a very impressive entrepreneur and angel investor.
In this interesting, five-minute clip (courtesy of Business Insider), Paige discusses the importance of:
I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics.
This week, we present Jason Nazar, the Co-Founder and CEO of Docstoc.com and a very impressive entrepreneur. Indeed, there is a lot you can learn from Jason, including his extraordinary talent in building relationships.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching a venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
This is part 2 of 2 of my post regarding the excellent book Do More Faster, which is a collection of articles/blog posts by successful entrepreneurs and investors, including the editors David Cohen, the founder and CEO of TechStars, and Brad Feld, the managing director of Foundry Group.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs.
This week we present Steve Jobs, obviously one of the greatest entrepreneurs who ever lived. In this amazing, inspirational speech (his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address, which we previously posted), Steve discusses “three stories of [his] life,” with the following important takeaways:
By the way, I’m sure many of you have already seen this video. My advice: watch it again (and again). Cheers, Scott
I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship and startups, M&A and legal issues. If you missed this week’s Twitter updates, below are my five most popular tweets (via bit.ly) and my blog-related tweets. If you’d like to see all of my tweets (or an RSS feed of them), you can do so here. Thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re trying to launch your venture, execute your business model, raise funds or sell your company, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Scott Belsky, who is the founder and CEO of Behance and the author of Making Ideas Happen. In this interesting, three-minute clip, Scott discusses the importance of marketing. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
Scott Belsky: Don’t Let Your Genius Go Unnoticed from 99% on Vimeo.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re trying to execute your business model, raising funds or selling your venture, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
I just finished reading the book Do More Faster, which is a collection of blog posts/articles by successful entrepreneurs and investors edited by David Cohen, the founder and CEO of TechStars, and Brad Feld, the managing director of Foundry Group. As Brad noted on his blog: “Our goal was to write a unique book full of useful information for any early stage entrepreneur. Rather than give advice or simply tell an entrepreneurial success story, we decided to blend the experience of the TechStars entrepreneurs and the TechStars mentors in an organized fashion.”
Below are a few nuggets from the first half of the book; I will share some second-half quotes in my next post. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics.
This week, we present Bill Gross, the founder and CEO of Idealab and a brilliant serial entrepreneur. In this interesting, six-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Bill discusses the complementary skills necessary for a successful management team, including the respective roles of the entrepreneur (E), the producer (P), the administrator (A), and the integrator (I). I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Fred Destin, a partner at Atlas Venture and a smart investor (and a good guy). In this interesting presentation in Berlin last year, Fred discusses how to pitch your startup to investors, including (i) honing your story, (ii) how to get past “no”, (iii) the importance of a business model and (iv) traction. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
Hacking Venture Capital – Fred Destin – pt1 from Seedcamp on Vimeo.
I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles, Quora answers and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship and startups, M&A and legal issues. If you missed this week’s Twitter updates, below are my five most popular tweets (via bit.ly) and my blog-related tweets. If you’d like to see all of my tweets (or an RSS feed of them), you can do so here. Thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching a venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Background
As I have previously discussed, I began my legal career as a corporate associate at two major law firms in New York City. After nearly eight years, however, I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping entrepreneurs (like my father) — not executing large, complex transactions for multi-national corporations and private equity funds.
I also saw a big problem in the legal marketplace: entrepreneurs and their companies were paying a small fortune to have their legal work done by junior associates getting on-the-job training; or, put another way, the big-firm template just didn’t work for entrepreneurs. (I discuss this issue in detail in the video on our home page.)
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present William Sahlman, a professor at Harvard Business School and a very intelligent, engaging guy. In this interesting, three-minute clip from a few years ago (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Bill discusses, among other things, (i) the importance of the “relentless pursuit of opportunity” and (ii) how “ideas are a dime a dozen and execution is all that matters.” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching a venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week we present Aaron Levie, the Co-Founder and CEO of Box.net and a smart, engaging entrepreneur. In this interesting, three-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Aaron discusses how he launched Box from his dorm room and how he had the guts to quit college to pursue his dream. I love this clip because it’s another example of the importance of guts – which I addressed in my recent post, “What Makes a Great Entrepreneur?” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching a venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over my 17+ years of practicing law, and clients and friends ask me all the time: “What makes a great entrepreneur? Why do some entrepreneurs make it and others fail? Hey Scott, what’s the secret sauce to being a successful entrepreneur?”
I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles, Quora answers and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship and startups, M&A and legal issues.
If you missed this week’s Twitter updates, below are my five most popular tweets (via bit.ly) and my blog-related tweets. If you’d like to see all of my tweets (or an RSS feed of them), you can do so here. Thanks, Scott
Introduction
I get this question all the time (in one form or another): “Hey Scott, can I raise money for my startup via Twitter? I have a lot of followers, and I know some of them would be interested in investing.” As discussed below, the answer is no — unless the tweet is a direct message (a “DM”) to a follower with whom you have a substantive, pre-existing relationship.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Randy Komisar, a partner at Kleiner Perkins and a very smart investor. In this interesting, eight-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner from a few years back), Randy discusses the magic of Silicon Valley and its “culture of constructive failure.” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we again present startup guru Steve Blank, a retired, highly-successful serial entrepreneur (with 30+ years of venture experience) and one of the smartest startup guys out there. In this powerful clip (courtesy of the Shoshin Project), Steve discusses, among other things, (i) the importance of hubris, vision and passion; (ii) how entrepreneurship is a “calling” – “not a job”; (iii) the importance of getting out of the building to learn what the customer wants; and (iv) how a startup is “nothing more than a series of guesses.” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles, Quora answers and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship and startups, M&A and legal issues.
If you missed this week’s Twitter updates, below are my five most popular tweets (via bit.ly) and my blog-related tweets. If you’d like to see all of my tweets (or an RSS feed of them), you can do so here. Thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Shai Agassi, the founder and CEO of Better Place (the leading electric vehicle services provider) and a brilliant entrepreneur and thinker. In this interesting, two-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Shai discusses the issue of money and startups, including how “money is like air” and how money is a “time measurement.” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Dennis Crowley, co-Founder and CEO of foursquare and a very smart and successful entrepreneur. In this interesting three-minute clip from a couple of years ago, Dennis discusses, among other things, (i) what foursquare is, (ii) early growth and (iii) hot-spots. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computers and a brilliant entrepreneur. In this interesting three-minute clip, Michael advises entrepreneurs and startups (i) to experiment and to try things (and to learn as much as you possible), (ii) to understand that it’s OK to fail, (iii) to view tough times as an opportunity and (iv) to know what you’re good at. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Mark Suster, a partner at GRP Partners, the founder of Launchpad LA and blogger extraordinaire. In this interesting, five-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Mark discusses, among other things, (i) the difficulty of getting started; (ii) how being an entrepreneur is “not sexy”; and (iii) the importance of choosing a venture you are passionate about. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship & startups, mergers & acquisitions, and business & corporate law issues.
For those of you who missed this week’s Twitter updates, below are my five most popular tweets (via bit.ly) and my blog-related tweets. If you’d like to see all of my tweets (or an RSS feed of them), you can do so here. Thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
This post is part 2 of my three-part series: “How do I raise seed capital if I don’t know any investors?” In part 1, I discussed the importance of hustling and building relationships in order to get warm introductions to investors. In this post, I will discuss a different approach: applying to one of the mentorship/seed capital programs.
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Tom Peters, management guru, public speaker and author of a number of extraordinary business books, including In Search of Excellence (co-authored with Robert H. Waterman, Jr) and Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age. In this interesting, three-minute clip, Tom discusses how to innovate, the problem with competitive benchmarking and the importance of doing something “remarkable.” I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate entrepreneurs. Why? Because we know how tough it is being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or raising funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present startup guru Steve Blank, a retired, highly-successful serial entrepreneur (with 30+ years of venture experience), and currently a Consulting Professor at Stanford and blogger extraordinaire. In this interesting, short clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner – 11/11/09), Steve discusses his checklist for entrepreneurs launching a venture, including (i) what’s the opportunity? (ii) where’s the innovation? and (iii) who’s the customer? I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics to help entrepreneurs succeed.
This week, we present Jerry Kaplan, a serial entrepreneur, technical innovator and author of “Startup–A Silicon Valley Adventure.” In this solid seven-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Jerry discusses the “five biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make,” including (i) having unclear goals; (ii) trying to prove that they are smart; and (iii) doing it for the money. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we post a short video clip of a successful entrepreneur, investor or business leader on a variety of topics.
This week, we present (i) Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and a brilliant entrepreneur and investor; and (ii) Max Levchin, also a co-founder of PayPal and another brilliant guy. In this interesting, five-minute clip (courtesy of Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner), Peter and Max briefly discuss PayPal’s exponential growth, how they dealt with their largest competitor and obtaining funding prior to the market collapse. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Scott
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate our fellow entrepreneurs. Why? Because it’s fuckn tough being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or trying to raise funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope this video is a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
The purpose of this post is expand upon my answer to the question on Quora:
“What should you do as a startup when a Bay Area VC insists that you use their expensive legal counsel?”
Mark Suster, a VC at GRP Partners, has also written and spoken about how he likes to “share” his legal counsel with the startup in which he is investing. My advice to entrepreneurs is clear: push back hard on this issue and choose your own strong, independent legal counsel – i.e., a law firm that’s going to work hard to protect you and watch your back.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
Welcome to our weekly series entitled “Motivational Clips for Entrepreneurs.” Each week, we post a short video clip to inspire and motivate our fellow entrepreneurs. Why? Because it’s fuckn tough being an entrepreneur; and whether you’re launching your venture, trying to execute your business model or trying to raise funds, you need a little juice to help you push the ball forward. I hope these videos are a little juice. Cheers, Scott
Introduction
This post was originally part of my weekly “Ask the Attorney” series which I am writing for VentureBeat (one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs). Please shoot me any questions you may have in the comments section – or feel free to call me directly at 415-979-9998. Many thanks, Scott
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