7 Ways to Raise Money Without Giving Up Equity
May 08, 2011
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5 minutes
Non-dilutive funding options: Startup Chile ($40k per project plus mentorship, workspace, 1-year visa); Kickstarter/Indiegogo (all-or-nothing crowdfunding); Profounder (repay via perks or profits, keep ownership; US); DIV ($350k grants); SBIR (Phase I up to $100k, Phase II up to $750k; US); RevenueLoan (up to $500k, revenue-based repayment).
Looking for techie to fix serious bug!
April 13, 2011
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1 minute
Calling tech folks: I’ve been nominated for Best Startup Technologist in the Seattle 2.0 Awards for the 3rd year running. This highlights a stubborn bug in the nomination software—unfixed for three years. If you know engineers, please refer them to Seattle 2.0 to fix ASAP. Thanks for the support.
How to recruit top engineers to your startup
January 20, 2011
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4 minutes
Lead with passive recruiting: build relationships via sponsor talks, dev events, and coffee chats; coach engineers to screen and follow up, maintaining a passive-candidate pipeline; focus college hires on UW CSE with talks, posters, emails, and a strong intern program; convert contractors to full-time via a 'try-before-you-buy' approach.
Favorite tools for late night startup hackers
January 16, 2011
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3 minutes
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10 photos
These tools help collaboration across odd hours and distributed teams: oLark (live site chats), Join.me (one-click screencasts), Propane for Campfire (24/7 dev chat), FaceTime (face-to-face), ScreenFlow (quick screencasts), Thinkfuse (simple status reports; sold to Salesforce; shut down), CloudApp (instant screenshot URLs), GitHub (code reviews and feedback).
A Simple New Year’s Resolution: Wake Up!
December 31, 2010
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4 minutes
For 2011 I’ve chosen a single, elegant resolution: wake up every morning by 7am or at sunrise, whichever comes first, and stick to it daily. Early rising boosts receptivity, health, and family time; it also lets me witness the sunrise. What’s your resolution for the year?
Add logs, pour fuel (VC money), light match (beta release day)
July 07, 2010
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3 minutes
Fundraising should center on why the startup matters, its early traction, and how investment fuels a proven path—not salaries. Prepare your fire: seed ideas/prototypes, build early sales, spark proof points, then scale with capital. Ignore personal constraints as the sole driver, though wisely timed funding can amplify growth.
LeadsCon: a crash course in “show me the money!!”
June 23, 2010
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2 minutes
LeadsCon NYC, July 26–27, 2010, cuts to the chase: money from online traffic with lean startup and agile tactics. Get $250 off full tickets with a Friday, June 25 midnight deadline (then $150). Discount link: http://bit.ly/buoU7w. Learn from proven players like QuinStreet, LendingTree, and TeachStreet.
New York Times 50 Most Challenging Words (defined and used)
June 15, 2010
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8 minutes
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2 photos
New York Times reveals its 50 fancy words; try the in-page lookup by double-clicking “epicenter.” I commissioned MediaPiston to define and use every term, and the article is live. Dive in, avoid jejune laconic speech, and explore with alacrity.
Unexpected Startup Lesson #3: Why You Can’t Read a VC
June 10, 2010
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3 minutes
Unpacking the VC trap: you can’t read a VC. In fundraising, meetings felt like one-way pitches—no real feedback or tough questions. A finale: 9:00–9:45 Qs, 9:46 partner leaves, 10:15 email ‘bombed,’ 11:00 call ‘we want a term sheet.’ Many keep feedback vague to preserve leverage; not all do.
Unexpected Startup Lesson #2: Channel your Inner VC to Understand Startup Valuations
May 27, 2010
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4 minutes
Valuation is an output, not a starting target; VCs chase future value and ownership. For example: raise $2M, sell 33%, pre-money $4M. Negotiations can flip quickly—even double valuation in a day by tweaking total raise. Beyond price, watch liquidation prefs and unwritten terms; bootstrappers keep 100% upside.
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