Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale

Founders should decide how much to raise based on how much money they need to reach the next set of milestones. Startups have many layers of risk stacked on top of each other. Leo Polovets, managing partner at Susa Ventures, calls startups a “bundle of risk.”6 These risk layers could be as broad as “product risk,” but ideally the risk layers should

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Ideation is an essential part of every startup. There’s a cliché that ideas are a dime a dozen, but executing to get to the right idea is actually key to success. If you are going to dedicate the next ten years of your life to your startup, you will want to spend enough time initially to validate it as a concept worth working on. First look for pro

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It takes enormous discipline to NOT try to scale something that's working. But some things just don't scale -- and trying to do so can destroy the golden goose in the process. Many entrepreneurially minded people can't help themselves from trying.

Do you have clarity on what kind of financial value you aim to create?

Do you have enough savings to sustain yourself during a ramp up period? If it takes longer to ramp up, how will you gain financial security? Is your significant other on board? Will 1,000 fans paying $10 a month satisfy you? Is your goal to build a sustainable business or are yo... See more