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HIGH TECH COMPANIES NEED AN ORTHODOX CAPITAL STRUCTURE. This translates as meaning that the founder must give away enough stock to create a Stock Option Pool (SOP) of about 20% post-Series A funding for future stock awards and stock for new hires. Some EC countries (Spain for instance) have odd laws that give a heavy tax penalty for this structure. There are work-arounds that solve this, such as Phantom Stock. If you do not have this, it will almost certainly cause problems with foreign investors who are used to seeing this capital structure. Fixing this early is vital. View in LinkedIn

A THOUGHTFUL ARTICLE ON THE PERSONAL CHALLENGES OF FAILURE. The ability to bounce back after failure must be highly correlated with attitudes to risk-taking. If you think you will survive a disaster, you are less afraid of the disaster, and more willing to put yourself (and your family) in harm's way. Given the mythical VC odds of 1 success per ten portfolio companies, these are steep risks of an entrepreneur having to face failure. Think realistically about your personal resilience to failure and ability to bounce back, BEFORE crossing that line. " "" " http://lnkd.in/ynjrqX View in LinkedIn

OVERCOMING FAILURE is both personal and cultural. This is about the cultural aspects. The US social fabric tolerates failure and even applauds Second-Time-Arounders as heroes: rugged individualism and a GoldRush mentality ensures that. In contrast, Japan and Spain have a fear of failure that can stifle those who dare stand out: as intensely gregarious and family-centric societies, the group is valued more than the individual. We are now seeing a generation of young entrepreneurs in both Japan and Spain breaking the cultural inhibition and daring to be different. http://lnkd.in/Q3wGwV View in LinkedIn

UNIVERSITIES ONLINE CAN LIFT MILLIONS OUT OF POVERTY is the theme of this article, and truly the emergence of an historical world change. The implicit equation is education equals a better workforce and thus jobs and opportunities. http://lnkd.in/UQXfva View in LinkedIn

BETTER TO FAIL TRYING THE IMPOSSIBLE THAN TO NEVER TRY. Conversations with entrepreneurs and mentors alike usually return to a central theme: it is a really exciting, interesting and somewhat crazy lifestyle, but once tasted, most people never go back to the steady workforce. They make themselves unemployable except in these high-octane environments. The second theme is always a great pride in changing the world, one brick at a time, and creating something out of nothing. View in LinkedIn

THE BARCELONA ACCIÓ CONFERENCE at the end of January was full to capacity with entrepreneurs and investors: lively speakers, elevator pitches from companies ranging from specialty Pharma to IT, and full-on networking. Among the thousand or so attendees was a Boston entrepreneur, originally from Mumbai, who had moved to Barcelona with his family, because of the dynamic entrepreneurial environment. Barcelona has given birth to a tremendously dynamic and imaginative culture of young companies, and is no longer just a hot vacation destination. View in LinkedIn

MANY DEALS REQUIRE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING and mutual respect to proceed, unless one of the key players is to depart. http://lnkd.in/i8NJM9 View in LinkedIn

GREAT ADVICE, about exits, liquidity and the personal goals of entrepreneurs and investors alike. If these goals are congruent, less problems will emerge. However, if the entrepreneur has misread (or ignored) the exit timetable of the investor, significant conflict and unhappiness will arise. Always check the exit expectations of an investor BEFORE YOU PITCH so as to save everyone time. Never take money that is not aligned with your exit plans. . http://lnkd.in/zZPgKV View in LinkedIn

STRESS TEST YOUR IP BEFORE YOU FILE IT. Some Big Pharma reportedly had patent cracking departments designed to stress test IP before it was filed; but alas, large swathes of Big Pharma IP are being overturned in court due to obviousness or prior art. The concept, however, is a great one. Use an expert patent litigator in your field to throw nuclear bombs at your IP before you file it, so you can fix the breaches before it goes to court. It will also add value, as investors will have additional comfort about the IP. View in LinkedIn

LINKEDIN IS ALSO GOOD FOR BD, be it strategic alliances, licensing, or raiding money. Not long ago one was forced to go to conferences to make that key contact, or try and find somebody to make an introduction. Now it is as simple as a few clicks. An easy prediction is that that these kinds of corporate interactions will increase, especially globally. http://lnkd.in/5DPQS8 View in LinkedIn