Session 6: Pitfalls and Plan Execution
Your Idea is great. You have good feedback from potential customers. You are convinced that your Strategy is correct. So how come you are having trouble raising money or attracting a team or partners?
Over and over again entrepreneurs make the same mistakes. Experienced investors, partners, and employees are alert for the pitfalls. Session 6 will discuss these pitfalls, how to recognize them, what to do about them, and how to present a business plan case which alleviates or anticipates these concerns.
Yonald Chery will talk about what really happened to Virtual Ink: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.
Reading: Read Articles from the Boston Business Journal "Starting Up" column:
LEGAL ISSUES:
- Considerations for Founders: Issues in Structuring Relationships Among Members of the Founding Team
- "Steer Clear of the Tempest: A Start-Up Tragedy in Three Acts"
- "Ten Commandments Of How To Work Effectively With Lawyers"
- "Questions of Copyright: Another Weapon in Property Arsenal"
- "Of Kleenex and Cheez Whiz: Trademarks Are Nothing To Sneeze At"
- "The Importance of Patents: It Pays To Know Patent Regulations"
FINANCING SOURCES:
- "Thinking About Valuation"
- "Dilution - Here Is A Primer of Stock Vocabulary"
- "All Financing Sources Are Not Equal"
- "What Are the Terms? - Part 1: A Preferred Return"
- "What Are the Terms? - Part 2: Investors Need Some Control After Their Checks Are Cashed"
- "What Are the Terms? - Part 3: Run Don't Walk To The Exit"
- Excerpts from: Venture Support Systems Project: Report on Angel Investors, MIT Entrepreneurship Center, 2000.
The full report is available at: http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/Downloads/AngelReport.pdf