Investor Connect: Patrick Ryan of Aardvark Research/PSR Lawfirm, LLC
In this episode, Hall welcomes Patrick Ryan, Founder of Aardvark Research/PSR Lawfirm, LLC. Patrick is the founder of Aardvark Research for angel investing. His day job is at Tik Tok, where he leads the team of Technical Program Managers for global network security. Before TikTok, Patrick was a Strategy and…
Managing a Startup in a Downturn
In running a startup there will be upturns and downturns. Managing a downturn takes a different approach from the upturns. First, seek advice and guidance from others such as investors, mentors, and CEOs. Don't delude yourself into thinking it's better than it is and that it will turn around soon.…
Investor Connect: Stuart Titus of Medical Marijuana, Inc.
In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Stuart Titus, Chief Executive Officer and President at Medical Marijuana, Inc. Headquartered in Poway, California, Medical Marijuana, Inc. is a cannabis product research and development company. The Company offers various CBD oils and related products such as CBD tinctures, concentrates, beauty products and pet…
Varying the Terms of the Raise
In a fundraise, one typically uses the same term sheet throughout the raise. From time to time, investors will demand certain rights and conditions. If there are no investor representations, then you may be able to do so. For some investors, you may need to vary the terms of the…
Investor Connect: Cam Houser of Actionworks
In this episode, Hall welcomes Cam Houser, Founder of Actionworks. Located in Austin, Texas, Actionworks mixes humans (from companies, universities, and governments) with algorithms trained on interesting topics (from business books to psychology textbooks to everything Paul Graham ever wrote) to create a process that helps organizations innovate. For over…
How to Use Comps to Value a Startup: Part 2
In valuing a startup for an investment, it's useful to find valuations by looking at similar startups. This technique is referred to as 'comps' which stands for comparable. This method looks for companies in the same sector and analyzes both exits and investments to determine the current valuation for the…
Investor Connect: Juan Alonso-Villalobos of Startup Wiseguys
In this episode, Hall welcomes Juan Alonso-Villalobos, Fintech Program Director at Startup Wiseguys. Headquartered in Tallinn, Harjumaa, Startup Wiseguys is a mentorship-driven accelerator program for early-stage B2B SaaS, Fintech, Cyber, and Sustainability startups, providing seed capital (€30K), office space, and most importantly – world-class mentors. The intensive 5-month accelerator program…
How to Use Comps to Value a Startup: Part 1
In negotiating the valuation, the investor can use current market comps or comparables to set the initial price. By looking at companies in the same sector and stage, one can find the range of valuations. From there, the investor can raise the valuation based on the values the startup has…
Investor Connect: Ben Mackay of Evolve Capital
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Mackay, Principal at Evolve Capital. Based in Dallas, Texas, Evolve Capital is a private equity firm focused exclusively on leveraged recapitalizations of entrepreneurial businesses. They provide entrepreneurs with liquidity upfront and also upon exit through their retained equity stake. In between, they provide professional…
Warning Signs That the Startup Is in Trouble
As an investor, you can often see warning signs of trouble in small ways before they become full-blown in the startup. Here are some of them: - The CFO quits unexpectedly - The paychecks to employees bounce and it's called an "accounting error" - Information from the CEO becomes limited…
