The Seraf Compass

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

There are reams of advice pieces out there warning startup CEOs that they must pick the perfect board. For early stage startups this advice is theoretically sound but practically useless. Advisors should coach that there are four basic aspects to hacking the board.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

There is a second set of career discussions I have even more frequently than my “angel yourself” advice but this type is almost never discussed publicly in blogs, which tend to emphasize only billion-dollar opportunities, 20-something technical founders and Silicon Valley elitism. Being a CEO begets the network to be a CEO.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

He wrote a post this long weekend on how he manages the board of DataSift. In his post he asserts, “You get the VCs you deserve” and the corollary “You get the performance out of your board that you deserve.” By spending more time educating your board on your business you get more valuable advice from them.

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This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 23, 2012

I'm often the last one to leave an event, held back by the most persistant of entrepreneurs trying to squeeze as much advice as they can out of me. Often times, the advice is terrible or impractical. They don't look cautiously at the advice given to them by their favorite VC blogger. Why should that stop me, though?

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TechCrunch

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Ryan Caldbeck, co-founder and former CEO of consumer-brands-focused crowdfunding site CircleUp , recently published an email he’d written to a former director on the board of the company. The saga begged questions about what happens behind the scenes at startups and about board composition specifically. ”

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TechCrunch

AUGUST 31, 2022

Two weeks ago, longtime venture capitalist Chris Olsen, a general partner and cofounder of Drive Capital in Columbus, Ohio, settled into his seat for a portfolio company’s board meeting. ” He also says that it isn’t the first time a board meeting hasn’t happened as planned lately. They stopped having them.”

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Berkonomics

MARCH 29, 2018

Ever get bad advice? Ever take that advice without question because the person giving it was an investor, a superior in rank, the chairperson of your board? I’ll bet you have at least one story of bad advice taken and being bitten as a result. We all have in our past. But I digress.

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TechCrunch

AUGUST 6, 2021

His initial advice? ” In a related article, Gregg Adkin, VP and managing director at Dell Technologies Capital, shared the framework he’s developed for helping founders set up their board. .” The composition of the board can also impact your fundraising. Do bronze medals ever make sense for unicorns?

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David Teten VC

JUNE 9, 2021

You can work as a consultant, an interim executive, a board member, a deal executive partnering to buy a company, an executive in residence, or as an entrepreneur in residence. . As a next step, we recommend that you register at the major expert network websites, as well as LinkedIn and job boards, if you haven’t already.

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The Seraf Compass

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Many years ago I joined the board of a company after my angel group became the lead investor in the company’s seed financing round. As part of my compensation for being a board member, the company issued me restricted stock.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I’ve written a few posts about boards recently as part of a series on the subject. I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic. Offering a sparring-partner function on strategic decisions.

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TechCrunch

AUGUST 2, 2022

shared her advice for entrepreneurs who are focused on climate and sustainability: “If your business activities have produced desired results and repeatable cycles — like developing a new product and distributing it through local markets — then you are ready to multiply.” Build a solid deck for your quarterly board meetings.

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Dream It

MAY 4, 2021

Board meetings can be very powerful events where founders get valuable feedback, ideas, and strategic direction. Oftentimes, founders dread board meetings and look at them as low ROI events. Their primary role is to confirm the board meeting agenda. Tip #3: Focus on key issues How do you know what a “key issue” is?

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TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

As a revenue leader at large and small technology companies, I’ve spent the last 15 years attending a lot of quarterly board meetings. This is all necessary because the board meeting is such a high-stakes event. As a wise mentor once told me, no one ever gets a promotion from a board meeting, but people sure do get fired afterward.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 12, 2010

I recently wrote an article on how to respond to board members between meetings. It seems to me this is the main problem with boards. So when I read my post it sounded to me more like a new philosophy for “The Agile Board,&# so I put that as my subtitle. This post is really about getting information to the board faster.

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Y Combinator

JULY 15, 2019

One of the most common questions we hear from founders is “How do I manage my board?” It’s something that provokes anxiety, because this is the first time the founder/CEO is subject to external supervision, and the board has powers that include the firing of the CEO and the senior management. But first, what’s the purpose of a board?

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TechCrunch

JULY 14, 2021

Anyone , an audio app that’s building a ‘marketplace for advice’ one five-minute phone call at a time, is launching new versions of its iOS and Android apps today* and beginning to large-scale onboarding after operating in a limited closed beta for the past six months. It’s one-to-one only.

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Berkonomics

MARCH 8, 2018

Give one percent equity to each outside board member vesting over four years of service. Many early stage CEOs and board members have asked for some guidance regarding pay and time commitments for board members. Here is my best advice, based upon many boards and many years.

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Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2012

I recently read Brad Feld’s thought provoking piece encouraging founders to sit on the board of another startup company. You’ll be on the other side of the financing discussions (a board member, rather than the CEO). . But I also agree with his warning, “I usually recommend only one outside board.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. Many startup companies hire advisory boards. So do advisory boards really add value? In my experience most advisory boards under deliver relative to expectations. My main advice to you if you’re considering it is don’t waste much equity on it.

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Smart Hustle Magazine

DECEMBER 30, 2020

You can still take advantage of all the small business advice that was shared throughout the event. You can still listen to the whole thing, but we wanted to share some of our favorite moments and pieces of small business advice. Awesome small business advice! Great small business advice from Jason! Thanks, Steve!

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Over the years, I’ve grown my network to about 700 people – my “mentor board of advisors” or MBA. He gave me invaluable advice over lunch, and his expertise was a reminder to seek out expert advice – every time. I believe with the right approach, anyone can get advice from the best in business. Guess what?

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Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2012

It has always surprised me that founders were so quick to fight over how many board members there were and so quick to agree to have as many board observers as people wanted. I have always been vehemently against board observers and wrote some of the reasons in this previous post. The Case for a Silent Observer.

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TechCrunch

OCTOBER 26, 2021

.’s Q3 results last week sent its stock tumbling, but it wasn’t alone: Apple’s iOS 15 privacy implementation disrupted ad tracking and measurement for social media and advertising platforms across the board. Braze set to put points on the board for New York’s startup scene in impending IPO.

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NZ Entrepreneur

APRIL 28, 2019

Here’s how to build a startup advisory board. And while it often seems more involved and complex than it is in reality, setting up an advisory board is something you should look to put in place in the early stages of your entrepreneurial venture. Selecting an advisory board is the tricky part.

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TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Lak Ananth is founding CEO and managing partner of the global venture capital firm Next47 and serves on the board of several companies that he has helped to grow beyond $1 billion valuations. Why waste your time with people who want to take board seats and more? Lak Ananth. Contributor. Share on Twitter.

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Gust

DECEMBER 3, 2011

And I don’t mean because they lend a credible name to an investor pitch: way too many entrepreneurs look at names on Advisory Board as just a way to expedite a raise. If that’s all you really expect of the Board, you’re cheating yourself as well as the investors before whom you dangled the names. Please do establish an Advisory Board.

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Given the request for input and feedback, you might expect a presenter to receive various advice from the other Forum members. However, most Forum organizations train members to specifically avoid giving advice. Under an advice framework, my Forum-mates take turns telling me what I should do in my specific situation.

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This is going to be BIG.

JULY 8, 2013

That''s kind of like what it''s like being on board with these companies after you make an early stage investment. Even the best and most active board members can still feel pretty helpless. 4) Most of the job isn''t in the picking, it''s in the struggling. Ever watch an animal get hit by a car and limp around afterwards?

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 15, 2023

Miranda is Board Director of CRDB Bank Plc and Board Chair of the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative that empowers hundreds of women from across the continent. She is Board Vice Chair of CCBRT Hospital and an active member-leader of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization where she serves as Chair of Global Learning.

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The Seraf Compass

JUNE 9, 2021

When you combine great leadership with a strong board of directors, the likelihood of a successful outcome for a business increases by an order of magnitude. However, truly engaged and knowledgeable directors can add significant additional value by providing strategic input and advice.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. I wrote recently about the role of Advisory Boards in startups , which I expected to be a bit controversial. It’s just that many companies waste equity on advisory boards, pick the wrong advisers or set up advisory boards with the wrong expectations.

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Gust

JULY 15, 2012

I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. For this, you should expect participation in monthly strategy and review meetings, and unlimited access via phone or email for questions, mentoring, and advice. The Advisory Board’s objectives and focus. Let’s talk specifics.

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Paul G. Silva

OCTOBER 6, 2022

We provided each startup: Board of Advisors that acted like a board of directors, holding the entrepreneurs to account. The board assisted entrepreneurs in developing strategic focus and then setting meaningful and ambitious goals. We realized that almost all entrepreneurs insist on getting $ along with their advice.

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

While you may be a strong leader, she asserts, the ability to adapt your strengths to each new organization, or to changes within the organization—new board members, new staff members, new shareholders—is the quality that will help you remain successful. . Organizations (like people) are always in transition.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 19, 2019

Startups that are backed by professional financial investors almost always have a Board of Directors that consists of some set of founders, investors and sometimes independent directors. What exactly is the purpose of a Board of Directors and how do boards best function? I plan to write a series of posts on the topic.

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Berkonomics

MAY 2, 2024

And it is one of the most important lessons you can learn as a manager, board member, or advisor of a company or even a non-profit enterprise. I first heard this in a governance seminar for a non-profit higher educational board upon which I sit, over 25 years ago. Where did this statement come from? The problem cannot be overstated.

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