linkedin post 2013-02-01 17:02:03

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IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR BOARD for the right reasons, not because you are in the wrong job, or want a new fan club, consider the following. First, be honorable and ensure that you have met reasonable expectations about fees and equity. A good board is no more a charity than you are. Secondly, properly thank and acknowledge their contributions. Thirdly, think very hard about how you do it, because the last thing you want to do is insult people who have worked hard for you. Fail to do these three things and you may find it comes up during due diligence by new board members. View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2013-02-03 03:27:30

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CLUSTERS ONLY WORK WITH INTERACTION. The MRC Unit at Cambridge (UK) has had more than its share of famous scientists. The reported answer to why, was surprising. Because at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm the tea lady rang a bell and people emerged from their labs for a cuppa. They chatted about their experimental" "problems, and cross-fertilization of ideas occurred. Combined with a lively pub scene where ideas also got debated and unlikely friendships crafted, this was a healthy, interacting early cluster that was very productive. Without interaction, there is only proximity. http://lnkd.in/uVx-xM View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2013-02-03 03:14:30

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BLOOD STEM CELL TRANSPLANTS ARE USED WIDELY TODAY and will increase in the future. We are in the midst of an important change in the way we treat diseases. Small molecule drugs are being trumped by biological medicines (in terns of annual approvals), and biological medicines may one day be trumped by cellular medicines. We are in the midst of truly fundamental and historic changes in medicine. http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/01/30/519544/10019770/en/1-Millionth-Blood-Stem-Cell-Transplant-Marks-Major-Medical-Milestone.html View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2013-02-03 02:48:21

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MAKE YOUR SALES PROJECTIONS BOTTOMS-UP IF YOU PLAN TO SELL PRODUCT YOURSELF. if you are going to license your product, ignore this. Otherwise, listen up. X% of a billion dollar market is a standard pitch. However, it is meaningless. Build your sales forecasts by estimating the actual number of sales calls per day, the number of successes, by how many sales people. Your credibility is always shot when you pitch a small share of a huge market (top-down forecasts), View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2013-02-03 02:35:38

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REMEMBER THAT FOUNDER'S DEBT WILL NEVER BE REPAID. You started a company, left your job, and worked crazy hours? Along the way, you paid out-of-pocket for everything? Then you added it all up, and between the cash outlay, and the personal liability on big-ticket items, you had already invested 250,000. Be VERY aware that this will never be repaid in any financing. Sweat equity and capital invested are yours alone. If you cannot afford that burden, you had better look out for Angel investors early on. View in LinkedIn
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linkedin post 2013-02-03 02:27:39

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CASH, STOCK, AND THE PROMISSORY NOTE ARE YOUR WAR-CHEST IN A STARTUP. Most startups are cash poor. To engage professional services (lawyers, accountants, patent lawyers), try using small amounts of stock or Promissory Notes. In my first company, my IP attorney accepted 1% of penny stock in return for his help, and did fabulously. At other times, usually in sight of a financing, I offered the Promissory Note with a kicker (to add value) for people's time who were not inside the venture. These are valuable tools, and use them creatively. View in LinkedIn
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