Summary of Colorado Blue Sky Laws

Summary of Colorado Blue Sky Laws (Updated)

I’ve found that while entrepreneurs have an excellent sense of the law when it comes to term sheets and venture deals, they have a much more limited understanding of securities laws. What’s worse, many lawyers I’ve talked to aren’t aware of the details of Colorado’s securities laws, either. Most competent attorneys know about the basics … Read More

Seven Rookie Mistakes Startups Make When Raising Money

1) Working with the Wrong Kind of Investors There’s a saying in the startup world: “the first money that goes in determines how much money, if any money at all, comes in after.” Regular startup investors are an incestuous lot, and they’re usually a pretty sophisticated group, too. If you look at the resumes of superstar … Read More

friends and family

21 Ways to Raise Money for Your Business

Too often, startups lock themselves into thinking that there are only a few ways to raise capital. But that’s not true. There are plenty of different ways to raise money if your business if promising and if you’re creative. VCs and angel investors might have certain vehicles they return to repeatedly, but there’s no reason … Read More

Startup Checklist

The Ultimate Startup Checklist

By combing the Interwebs, poring through my personal library, and applying my own experience in working with more than 100 startups, I’ve compiled this checklist of 25 items to review and consider as you launch your startup. I hope you find it useful. Decide whether starting a business is right for you and what kind … Read More

VC Exits vs. Early Exits

Venture capitalists get lots of attention, and for good reason. Most of them possess an elite intelligence and pedigree combined with machete-sharp business acumen. The super rich trust them to find “the next big thing,” and they’re willing to pay VCs huge management fees to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on their behalf. It’s … Read More

When Is a Pitch a General Solicitation?

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a meetup at Galvanize with a number of other attorneys (signup info for the meetup can be found here). The subject of the meetup was legal issues for crowdfunding and fundraising. We provided background on the new SEC rules for crowdfunding and discussed the ways in which we … Read More

What Is a Startup?

“Only describe, don’t explain.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein According to Merriam-Webster, a startup is a fledgling company. According to Wikipedia, it’s a partnership or temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, you spell start-up with a hyphen. But most people who work in the … Read More

Delaware vs. Colorado Corporation: What Makes Sense for My Business?

Delaware vs. Colorado Corporation: What Makes Sense for My Business?

(Updated June 14, 2017) If you’re in the startup world, you may be at least vaguely aware that most hugely successful startups are Delaware corporations. Indeed, there are many smart people who say this is the only right answer to the question, “What type of entity should I form for my startup?” I don’t think this is true, however. There … Read More