We’re Adding AI Features to Our Product. Do We Need to Update Our Terms and Privacy Policy? Your product is doing well. Customers are asking for AI-powered features, your engineering team has identified a model provider, and you’re preparing to launch capabilities such as AI search, content generation, or chat assistance. From a technical perspective,
We Just Raised Our Round: What Customer Contracts and Policies Do We Need Before Launching Our Product? Your funding round has closed. The money is in the bank, your team is hiring quickly, and everyone is focused on launching the product. It feels like the hard part is over. Then your first enterprise customer asks
Should I Accept a Tranched, Milestone-Based Venture Round? Your fundraising is finally coming together. An investor offers to lead your round, the valuation looks reasonable, and the headline investment amount is exactly what you were hoping for. Then you read the term sheet more carefully. Only part of the investment will be wired at closing.
Should I Accept a Tranched, Milestone-Based Venture Round? Read More »
I’ve Been Offered an LP Spot in a Venture Fund. What Should I Review Before I Commit Capital? You’ve been invited to invest in a venture capital fund. The fund manager has a strong reputation, the investment thesis sounds compelling, and you’re excited about the opportunity. Then you receive a data room containing several legal
Do I need custom terms of use and a privacy policy, or is a copied template fine? You found a privacy policy you liked, swapped in your company name, and shipped it. It took ten minutes and it looked professional. Here is the problem. That document describes someone else’s product, someone else’s data, and someone else’s
Do I need custom terms of use and a privacy policy, or is a copied template fine? Read More »
Can My Website’s Pixels, Chatbot, and Session-Replay Tools Get Me Sued for Wiretapping? Your marketing team installs a Meta Pixel to improve ad performance. A chatbot is added to answer customer questions. Your developers also enable a session-replay tool to better understand how visitors use the website. Everything appears to be working exactly as intended.
Can My Website’s Pixels, Chatbot, and Session-Replay Tools Get Me Sued for Wiretapping? Read More »
After OBBBA, Should My Startup Be a C-Corporation or an LLC? You’re about to form your startup. One advisor tells you to choose an LLC because it’s simple, flexible, and less expensive to maintain. Another recommends a Delaware C-corporation, even though it involves more paperwork and ongoing compliance. Both arguments sound reasonable. So which structure
After OBBBA, Should My Startup Be a C-Corporation or an LLC? Read More »
How Do I Set Up My First Venture Fund (Management Company, GP Entity, and LPA)? You’ve made several successful angel investments. Other investors have started asking whether you’re planning to launch a venture fund. The idea is exciting. Then you begin researching fund formation and quickly run into unfamiliar terms like management company, general partner
How Do I Set Up My First Venture Fund (Management Company, GP Entity, and LPA)? Read More »
Why Can’t I Just Pick a Low Strike Price for My Team’s Stock Options? You’re preparing to hire your first employees. To make the offer more attractive, you plan to grant stock options with a very low strike price. After all, the lower the strike price, the more valuable the options appear. Then someone tells
Why Can’t I Just Pick a Low Strike Price for My Team’s Stock Options? Read More »
One Investor Wants a Side Letter. What Am I Actually Giving Away? Your fundraising round is almost complete. Most investors have agreed to the standard financing documents. Then one investor asks for a side letter. They explain it’s a minor request that won’t affect the rest of the financing. That may be true. It may
One Investor Wants a Side Letter. What Am I Actually Giving Away? Read More »
My Quarterly Statement Says the Fund Is Up. Can I Trust Those Valuation Marks? Your latest quarterly fund report has arrived. The numbers look encouraging. The portfolio’s value has increased, and the fund’s TVPI (Total Value to Paid-In Capital), a measure of total fund value relative to investor capital contributed, has improved. Overall performance appears
My Quarterly Statement Says the Fund Is Up. Can I Trust Those Valuation Marks? Read More »
My Fund Reinvested an Exit Instead of Paying Me Out. Can They Do That? One of your venture funds just sold a successful portfolio company. You expected the proceeds to arrive in your account within a few weeks. Instead, your fund manager informed investors that the money would be reinvested into new portfolio companies rather
My Fund Reinvested an Exit Instead of Paying Me Out. Can They Do That? Read More »
If My Term Sheet Is “Non-Binding,” Why Does the No-Shop Clause Still Bind Me? Your lead investor has finally sent a term sheet. The valuation looks good, the investment amount meets your expectations, and the document clearly states that it is “non-binding.” That sounds reassuring. You assume you can continue speaking with other investors until
If My Term Sheet Is “Non-Binding,” Why Does the No-Shop Clause Still Bind Me? Read More »
I Got a Demand Letter Saying My Website Violates the ADA. Is This Real, and What Do I Do Now? A legal demand letter has just landed in your inbox. It claims your website is not accessible to people with disabilities and that your business is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your first
EU Customers Are Signing Up. Is My US Startup Breaking GDPR? Your startup is beginning to attract customers from Europe. The signups are increasing, your product is gaining traction, and personal data from EU users is automatically being stored on servers in the United States. Everything seems to be working exactly as planned. Then someone
EU Customers Are Signing Up. Is My US Startup Breaking GDPR? Read More »
Do I Need a Foreign Subsidiary, or Can I Just Run a Branch Abroad? Your startup has started winning customers overseas. The first international contracts are signed, and you’re preparing to hire someone in another country to support your growing customer base. Now you face an important decision. Should you establish a local company, or
Do I Need a Foreign Subsidiary, or Can I Just Run a Branch Abroad? Read More »
Do I Legally Owe My Investors Monthly Financials After the Round? Your funding round has finally closed. The legal documents are signed, the money has reached your bank account, and you’re ready to focus on hiring, building your product, and growing the business. Then an email arrives from your lead investor. They ask for monthly
Do I Legally Owe My Investors Monthly Financials After the Round? Read More »
Could the Open-Source Libraries in My Product Force Me to Publish My Own Code? Your engineering team uses open-source software every day. It helps developers move faster, reduce development costs, and avoid building common features from scratch. In fact, most modern software products rely on dozens or even hundreds of open-source libraries. For many startups,
Could the Open-Source Libraries in My Product Force Me to Publish My Own Code? Read More »
Can My Startup Still Afford to Hire a Foreign Engineer With the New $100,000 H-1B Fee? You’ve found the perfect software engineer. They have the technical skills your startup needs, they’re excited about joining your team, and the interviews went exceptionally well. Then your immigration lawyer raises an issue you weren’t expecting. Because the candidate
Can My Startup Still Afford to Hire a Foreign Engineer With the New $100,000 H-1B Fee? Read More »
Can My Startup Get Back the Tariffs I Paid Now That the Supreme Court Struck Them Down? For the past year, your startup has been paying higher prices every time you imported products or components. The additional tariff costs reduced your margins, increased manufacturing expenses, and forced you to make difficult budgeting decisions. Now the
Can My Startup Get Back the Tariffs I Paid Now That the Supreme Court Struck Them Down? Read More »
