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Below is a fairly comprehensive list of what I look for when I am doing due diligence on a potential startup investment. Choice of Entity Capitalization Intellectual Property Employment Matters Compliance

Startup Investing for Student Entrepreneurs I have been fortunate to work with student-led startups recently. A common theme in their questions is how to raise money and the structures that these startups should consider. The outside investment process is specifically, no founder, no friends and family money. People who do…

Saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Kopcha, a fraternity brother from University of Michigan. Kind, thoughtful and intelligent are words that normally do not define a young fraternity man, but that was Steve. My fondest memory of him comes from an intramural slow pitch softball game. Steve had…

As 2023 comes to a close, here is my take on the angel investing landscape. Overall, 2023 saw a chill on investments and deal flow due largely to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March. For startups on the West Coast, SVB was the go-to bank especially those…

A re-post from 2009 but still true today. I have noticed a common thread in some distinct readings. This common thread relates to positive habits and how to build them. Fitness, personal or professional habits can be shaped if you, “Grease the groove.” Russian Kettlebell guru, Pavel Tsatouline coined the…

Legendary basketball coach Bob Knight spoke at Fenwick for a “coaches clinic” on the one Saturday weekend in spring that I was not playing water polo in 1989. It was during my junior year. Coach Knight was the premier basketball coach at that time having won his third NCAA title…

Finding something to work on is not simply a matter of finding a match between the current version of you and a list of known problems. You’ll often have to coevolve with the problem. That’s why it can sometimes be so hard to figure out what to work on. Paul…

Joe Shymanski . PHOTO:  CALVERT CO., MD SHERIFF’S OFFICE Joe Shymanski was one of the first people I met at University of Michigan. Later, I was his fraternity brother. He was always positive and upbeat. For my first two years at U of M, he was constant presence. Later on, after…

I found myself recently referencing a post from many years ago on these two works. Here is an update. The Blue Ocean Strategy has become a staple of business strategy and most MBA programs. At its core, the Blue Ocean strategy is about value innovation. “Red” oceans are known industries…