THE STARTUP CHECKLIST - Gust

THE

STARTUP CHECKLIST

25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business

DAVID S. ROSE

Bestselling Author of Angel Investing ? CEO of Gust ? Founder of New York Angels

THE

STARTUP CHECKLIST

25 Steps to Scalable, High-Growth Business

DAVID S. ROSE

Contents

Preface Why Every Entrepreneur Needs This Book . . .

instead of the other 93,210 books on Entrepreneurship

ix

Introduction 25 Key Action Steps for Every Entrepreneur

xi

Part I Prepare to Launch

1

1. Translate Your Idea into a Compelling Business Model

3

2. Craft a Business Plan to Serve as Your "Plan A" Roadmap 11

3. Find and Know Your Competitors

21

4. Draft your Founding Dream Team

31

5. Allocate the Equity in Your Startup

41

6. Build a Minimum Viable Product and Validate Your Plan

with Customers

49

7. Establish Your Brand with Online Public Profiles

55

8. Network Effectively within the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 63 v

vi Contents

Part II Launch and Build Your Company

71

9. Incorporate as a Delaware "C" Corporation

for Protection and Investment

73

10. "Lawyer Up" the Right Way

81

11. Recruit your Boards of Directors and Advisors

91

12. Select an Accountant and an Accounting System

99

13. Establish and Manage your Credit Profile

109

14. Open Bank, Credit Card and Merchant Accounts

117

15. Choose Your Key Technologies, Platforms and Vendors

125

16. Measure Your Business with Data Analytics

135

17. Round Out Your Team with Employees and Freelancers 149

18. Establish a Stock Option Plan to Incentivize Your Team 161

Part III Raise Funds; Collaborate With Investors;

Plan for Your Exit

169

19. Understand the Funding Process and What Investors

Want to See

171

20. Nurture Your Investor Pipeline

183

21. Fundraise with Online Platforms

193

22. Survive the Term Sheet Negotiation and Investor

Due Diligence

201

23. Get the Most from Your Investors, Now and in the Future 211

Contents vii

24. Understand Your Company's Valuation for

Funding vs. Option Grants

219

25. Keep Your Eye on the Exit and Reap the Benefits

of Success

229

Coda: The Gust All-In-One Solution

237

Appendices

Appendix A The Startup Reading List

241

Appendix B The Investment Due Diligence Checklist

245

Appendix C Starting a US Corporation from

a Foreign Country

253

Appendix D Convertible Preferred Term Sheet

257

Appendix E Convertible Note Term Sheet

273

Appendix F The Founders Accord

281

Acknowledgments

285

Index

289

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download