Comments on: Kiss of Death – Contract Provisions Entrepreneurs Should Avoid at All Costs

By: John Greathouse

John Greathouse — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Sounds like you properly vetted the opportunity. My concern is that small companies should avoid jumping through hoops defined by the BDC, without first understanding the BDC’s propensity to buy.

Building something on spec and then introducing it to a BDC is a bit different. Certainly a calculated risk, but not a situation in which a BDC is commanding you to chase your tail. Well done.

By: MeMorrow

MeMorrow — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:38:00 +0000

did I say “free demo?” I meant “free pilot” my mistake. BTW, we did carefully manage how much effort we put into this.

By: MeMorrow

MeMorrow — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000

great article. Not sure about the “free demo” bullet. We were trying to get into a BDC and went ahead and built a demo at our expense. Showed it to them, and won the business because the big competitors couldn’t move that quick. They would have never even talked to us until we showed them what we’d already done. It was a conscious decision on our part and we considered it a selling expense vs. months of trying to set meetings and get on the invite list. I would do it again in a minute.

By: John Greathouse

John Greathouse — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Thanks Adrea – I expounded on these points in a series entitled ConTraps, in case you want to read a bit more.

I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

John

By: Andrea Lucas

Andrea Lucas — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Thanks
for listing these provisions. Its
helpful to know when you’re considering investing into a specific venture or
business partnership.

By: Ten Rookie Startup Mistakes You Won’t Make

Ten Rookie Startup Mistakes You Won’t Make — Tue, 03 May 2011 08:29:20 +0000

[...] fewer resources is the reason you should draft all of your significant agreements. As made clear in Kiss Of Death Contract Provisions, entrepreneurs can control the tempo of the contract process while ensuring that the agreement [...]

By: Uncle Saul

Uncle Saul — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:29:24 +0000

Thanks “Promise” for the kind words.

Uncle Saul

By: Promise Phelon

Promise Phelon — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:42:12 +0000

Totally agree with the BDC relationship with a small startup. Even though you may think you’re saving time with having them “draft” the first copy, you’re losing important value-setting ability. The idea of coming up with terms that establish the ground rules and cadence is a great piece of advice. Impressive blog. Pics are fun!

By: Bro Factor | infoChachkie

Bro Factor | infoChachkie — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:16:07 +0000

[...] Articles Kiss of Death Innoventor Are You An Entrepreneur? Personal Pitch MBA Education And Other Oxymorons Core Values [...]

By: Arthur Ardolino

Arthur Ardolino — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:38:38 +0000

My email address is ajardolino@cimple.com