A quick thought on some behaviors I have seen from energetic entrepreneurs, particularly in technology, and often those starting their first ventures: they are too excited.
Now, high energy is a great asset in a CEO. And excitement about emerging technology is a plus. Combine high energy and excitement with an over-hyped emerging [...]

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Software as a Service (SaaS) and Data as a Service (DaaS) companies find themselves in need of various kinds of distribution partners to provide their product (or package of technology services) to a wide range of customers that cannot be reached directly. My work with these companies has brought back my earlier days of creating [...]

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During this long recession, getting paid can be tricky, especially if you are an outsider, or if you have lost your status as an employee, and have been hired back as a contractor (part time or full time).
Established consultants understand about getting paid (or not), but those new to the game, or employees currently being [...]

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I could not resist re-posting this story, true (as claimed) or not. I laughed out loud and recognized my own impatience with incompetence, both a blessing and a curse. And if I were in need of a good attorney, I would want him or her to be just like this.
A New Orleans [...]

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Summary: Two recent decisions (in Delaware and Georgia) point out legal landmines when negotiating with potential business partners. Even though the decisions point in opposite directions, they also point out the need for clear drafting. One is about LOIs: Make it clear what is binding and what is not and terms like “good faith” actually [...]

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You have worked hard to build a thriving business… then the unthinkable happens… your company is thrust into the limelight… nationally and negatively!
“It could never happen to me,” had been your mantra thus far. As a result, you are totally unprepared… no crisis plan exists, you don’t even know whom to call for help.
Perhaps:
• A [...]

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Summary:  The Federal Trade Commission just issued regulations that, in essence, require bloggers (among others) to disclose any “material connections” between advertisers and endorsers.  No one should be surprised:  Restrictions on endorsements have been around for a very loooong time, consistent with the FTC principles of truth in advertising.    It remains to be seen exactly [...]

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Summary: On September 24th (the first day of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh) the Pennsylvania State Police served a search warrant on a protester (a self-styled anarchist) on the grounds that his use of Twitter to inform other protesters of the location of riot police was a crime. A criminal complaint was later filed against [...]

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Summary:  the second in an intermittent series on lawyers and startups—this one on owning what you create.  Basically, a written agreement must affirmatively assign rights of anything put to (digital or other) paper.
This is the second in a series of posts about the landmines startups face when they skip using lawyers.  You can indeed not use [...]

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