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A Startup Founder's Quick Guide to Preparing for Taxes

A Valid Business Model Requires Real Customer Sales

“Will the dogs eat the dog food?” This rather crude expression weighs heavily on the mind of all good startup founders, no matter how confident they appear. We all know the products they give away, and the ones purchased by family and friends don’t count. The real milestone, proving the business model, is that first […]
Martin Zwilling
Martin Zwilling , Founder and CEO , Startup Professionals
5 Jan 2014
Startup Board Of Directors C787f6463d5ff1de1157622f4e247b7c0943223e2a7539fe1bd5f3bcf012ee53

One of my investors wants me to host a session where all the investors can meet and talk to each other. Is this a normal request?

There’s nothing inherently wrong with your investors meeting each other, and it’s actually usually a pretty good thing. That said, it’s a bit unusual coming from the F&F side rather than the professional investor side. So I’d just be a bit cautious in trying to understand why your friend is pushing for this. Could it […]
David S. Rose
David S. Rose , Founder and CEO , GUST INC.
2 Jan 2014
Successful Startup Founders Invest In Their Own Ventures 0742d64fd6a698c3cfa409e71c3cc4e5620a7e7299f434f1380bb4cde9bc488a (1)

As an American angel investor, what would it take for you to invest in a Brazilian startup?

I would be unlikely to invest in a Brazilian startup at this time because I have absolutely no background or knowledge of the local market, I don’t speak Portuguese, I would be unlikely to be able to attend board meetings or even visit the company, and finally because there are issues relative to double-taxation under US and […]
David S. Rose
David S. Rose , Founder and CEO , GUST INC.
29 Dec 2013
Does Your Startup Need To Hire A Cto Or Contractor 4b0ad4399e944f467266a5265b3eb6a70a992ae777ccfdaf6ac24ae2acd49bec

10 Startup Shortcuts That Will Be Back To Haunt You

I’ve been advising and mentoring startups and growth companies for years, and find myself always pushing them to try something new, for the sake of growth and survival. When you try new things, you make mistakes, and I’ve seen many. Smart companies learn from their own mistakes, but some don’t pay enough attention to other […]
Martin Zwilling
Martin Zwilling , Founder and CEO , Startup Professionals
29 Dec 2013
Trade Signal Fundraising Strategy

What is the maximum amount of money a pre-revenue mobile Internet startup can expect to raise from the VCs?

To start with, a pre-revenue mobile company cannot expect to raise anything from “the VCs”. Venture capital funds invest in only one out of every 400 companies seeking funding, so the odds of your particular startup getting funded are astronomically against you. Next, venture capital funds invest primarily in later stage companies that have already shown significant indications of success (known […]
David S. Rose
David S. Rose , Founder and CEO , GUST INC.
26 Dec 2013
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