Uncle Saul

Need straight-talking advice from a serial entrepreneur? Ask Uncle Saul and the answer may be posted here.


Last week’s question:
Dear Uncle Saul, How far should I go with developing my new business before seeking to raise venture capital?
- Brian

Answer:
Go as far as you can! By bootstrapping your business during the early stages you will attain a far greater valuation enabling you to raise more money while giving less equity away. For more advice about VCs read "Brian Epstein is Not John Lennon, and Neither is Your VC."
- Uncle Saul



Blogroll

Networking

Bro Factor

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Bro - abbreviation of “Brother”, meaning friend or dude. A term of endearment used to denote a familiarity beyond a casual friendship.
In the world of Big Dumb Companies (”BDC”), there is little likelihood you will establish a professional relationship with someone outside of your company that goes beyond a casual friendship. At large companies, such […]

Best of Show

Monday, January 7th, 2008

Warning: tradeshows are highly emotional, ego-driven events - do not get sucked into the hype.
Despite what the most earnest Marketing Executive will tell you, tradeshows never make or break a company. Ignore your sales and marketing people when they tell you that your company will be embarrassed if you do not purchase an expansive, $150,000 […]

Single Serve Bros

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

Question: What can a sincere smile, a kind word, and a friendly ear get you?
Answer: Plenty.

Personal Pitch

Monday, October 8th, 2007

Panhandling techniques cover the spectrum from menacing demands to sophisticated appeals for help. You can angrily shout, “Hey, got any change?” and you might net yourself a nominal number of donations from fearful passersby. However, your overall productivity will likely be poor. Alternatively, you can deploy a more sophisticated and correspondingly a far more effective […]

Be The Beatles Not The Flock Of Seagulls

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

Two bands, both heralding from Liverpool. Each with a unique look, hip contemporary sound and significant initial success. So what happened?
Why did The Flock crash soon after their initial hit while the Beatles’s career has spanned nearly 35-years, including a number one CD (”Love”) as recently as 2007. Is this dichotomy merely an issue of […]

The Tribe

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

You may not realize it, but your adVenture’s Core Team is akin to a primitive tribe. The Core Team is of the three to five key individuals upon which your company’s leadership and direction is derived.
Thus, understanding the tribal organizational structure is vital to gaining an appreciation of the various roles played by your Core […]

Turncoats are Turncoats

Monday, July 16th, 2007

It is 1783 and the Revolutionary War just ended. Benedict Arnold applies for a job at your adVenture. Your patriotic leanings aside, and assuming he is highly qualified, would you hire him?

Monopoly

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

Along with Dr. Suess’ “Green Eggs and Ham” and Marcia Brown’s “Stone Soup”, the seemingly innocuous board game “Monopoly” has played a pivotal role in the United States’ rise as an economic superpower.

Making Stone Soup

Friday, June 15th, 2007

Pop Quiz: Why did the Berlin Wall fall?
Some say Reagan orchestrated the Soviet Union’s demise. Others surmise that Communism was a doomed economic model bound to eventually fail on its own accord.
However, I believe that Communism failed because the West possessed three very powerful “secret” weapons: the board game Monopoly, “Green Eggs and Ham”, and […]