How to use venture capital "check the box" forms

By Rick Colosimo / August 12, 2009 / Comments Off on How to use venture capital "check the box" forms

Writing about Ted Wang’s “simple series A” reminded me of this idea I came up with years ago. One alternative to drafting that I’ve always liked: “check the box” forms.” During any moderately stable period in Silicon Valley, certain terms become “market,” meaning that there’s little real dispute about them in substance and only some…

Will VCs adopt a "Simple Series A?"

By Rick Colosimo / August 12, 2009 / Comments Off on Will VCs adopt a "Simple Series A?"

This article on a simpler approach to smaller Series A venture capital financings was written by Ted Wang, a partner at Fenwick & West, a well-known Silicon Valley law firm. Caveat: Ted and I worked on a deal several years ago where he represented the investors and I the company. So, my opinions of Ted’s…

How to build your business during slow times

By Rick Colosimo / March 24, 2009 / Comments Off on How to build your business during slow times

This recent Seth Godin post was another timely suggestion from Seth. (My probable #1 reason for subscribing to his blog is that he seems to really have a finger on the pulse of what is going on, with timely, succinct, no-fluff posts on issues that are popping up for me in the days right before…

What does "dilution" mean to a startup founder?

By Rick Colosimo / February 23, 2009 / Comments Off on What does "dilution" mean to a startup founder?

Over on LinkedIn, this question caught my eye: How much do founders get diluted through exit? This isn’t a new question.I regularly answered it for founders, employees, and even angel investors during my time at Brobeck in Silicon Valley. There are lots of people concerned about “dilution” without really knowing what it is. Dilution means…