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Entrepreneurship , Tech Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship isn’t Self-Employment

Entrepreneurship isn’t about “freedom”, “lifestyle” or “being your own boss”. Entrepreneurship is about creating wealth quickly. The above is a reply that I give very frequently to young entrepreneurs. The question usually relates to raising money, adding partners into their first venture, stepping down as the founding CEO, or...

February 21, 2011July 13, 2017

Entrepreneurship , People

Start-Up Titles are Dangerous

I got a few questions about titles after my last post on hiring. Titles are always tricky, but particularly dangerous in the startup environment. I am not just talking about the rapidly de-valuing titles such as “Founder” (you aren’t one until you have actually created an entity and business), “CEO” (you...

February 7, 2011July 12, 2017

Entrepreneurship , People

Marriage – in Life and Entrepreneurship

This post started in the sane confines of my office but was completed on a holiday cruise with my family (I am sitting on the sun deck near Barbados right now). Emotional references abound! Happy Holidays! My wife and I recently celebrated our 12th anniversary. Certainly not a massive...

December 23, 2010July 12, 2017

Entrepreneurship , People

“Fail fast” on Tactics, Stay the Course on Strategy

This post started as a discussion on Mark Suster’s blog that became far too long. So I thought I make it an even longer blog post… The nature of my job brings me into frequent contact with entrepreneurs, and the nature of entrepreneurship means that a lot of their...

December 15, 2010July 12, 2017

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Entrepreneurship , People

Founder Control – It’s about Positive Influence, Not Control!

Paul Graham recently published an essay on founder control of start-ups. How much control over the business should the founders have once the company reaches a certain size? Paul’s answer bucks the “golden rule” of investor control past Series A. But what does control actually mean? As valuations for...

December 13, 2010July 12, 2017

IP & Tech Transfer , Tech Transfer & IP

Stubborn University Terms

Dealing with universities and their Technology Transfer Offices (TTO) can be a very frustrating experience if you don’t understand the unique cultural barriers at universities. I am often in the role of intermediary between the university and business world, so the following dialog is common: Helge: The university wants...

November 30, 2010July 13, 2017

IP & Tech Transfer , Tech Transfer & IP

Leveraging the Technology Transfer Office

At this point you are probably wondering why on earth I recommended that you find the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) in the first place. If they can’t develop your business, what are they good for other than taking some of “your” money? In fact, every single email I received following...

November 16, 2010July 13, 2017

IP & Tech Transfer , Tech Transfer & IP

Understanding the Technology Transfer Office

Hopefully you either followed my last guide or already knew your Technology Transfer Office (TTO). Now it’s time to get to know them a bit better. First you need to figure out what is your relationship with your TTO. Broadly speaking, your university will follow one of two invention ownership...

November 15, 2010July 13, 2017

IP & Tech Transfer , Tech Transfer & IP

Finding the Technology Transfer Office

As a professor or student interested in entrepreneurship you might have heard about something called a Technology Transfer Office (TTO). It’s the place that is supposed to help you turn your idea into money. The next few posts will be a quick guide to finding, understanding and leveraging these...

November 10, 2010July 13, 2017

Entrepreneurship , People

Founder Focus

At a recent talk on student entrepreneurship at McGill I received an audience question about the limited alignment between academic and entrepreneurial focus. This hit the nail on the head. Focus makes ventures succeed. Paul Graham goes as far as predicting instant death for companies funded by active graduate...

November 1, 2010July 14, 2017