IIT-Knapp Entrepreneurship Center

The Silver Lining

By Jason Pontin – May/June 2009

Excerpts from a panel discussion on entrepreneurship include discussions of why recessions provide disruptions that are good for startup companies and where government stimulus money fits in.

Video by Danny Zemanek

What’s fair compensation for your advisors?

From Ask The VC.

Excerpt: “How much should you pay board members and advisors to your company? If your board members are VC investors, the answer is simple: nothing. They are on your board to help maximize the value of your company and their investment. If you have a VC that wants to invest and wants to be paid (in either cash or equity) for his / her board service, then find another VC; these folks aren’t legit.”

Read the full article here.

Term Sheet Generator

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati have created an interactive, web-based term sheet generator that presents a ton of varied options (with explainations) to guide even the least-experienced investors and entrepreneurs. It’s a very expansive tool, so make sure you have set aside a little bit of time to explore all of it’s possibilities.

Check it out here.

A Couple of My Rules for Startups

By Mark Cuban, found at Blog Maverick.

“My buddy Jason had a GREAT post about rules for startups. Read it, love it learn it.

Of course, anyone who has started a company has their own rules and guidelines, so I thought i would add to the meme with my own. My “rules” below aren’t just for those founding the companies, but for those who are considering going to work for them as well. ”

Read the full article here.

Startup Seed Raising Skilzzz

By Travis Kalanick, found at Tech Coctail.

A bunch of companies I’m involved in have gone for seed funding in the last few months. After one of them asked for the ultra-warrior-l33t-skillz, I thought I’d put this post up and break it down.

The author, Travis Kalanick, is a successful entrepreneur in the areas of consumer Internet, p2p, and enterprise content delivery. His most recent company, Red Swoosh, was sold for $19M to Akamai Technologies in April 2007 after receiving $1.7M in funding from August Capital, Mark Cuban, and Crosslink Capital. You can find Travis online at http://swooshing.wordpress.com and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/konatbone.

Read the full article here.

Eliminating the Wallenda Factor

by Victor Parachin, B.A., M. Div.

During his lifetime, Karl Wallenda became the world’s best known aerialist. His daring stunts on the high wire thrilled crowds everywhere until that fateful day in 1978 when his show ended. Wallenda plunged 75 feet to his death before an audience of thousands in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Read more…

Crafting a message that sticks: An interview with Chip Heath

by Lenny T. Mendonca and Matt Miller

November 2007

The ability to craft and deliver messages that influence employees, markets, and other stakeholders may seem like a mysterious talent that some people have and some don’t. Jack Welch, for example, created ideas that inspired hundreds of thousands of GE employees. But many other leaders are frustrated to find that key messages sent one day are forgotten the next—or that stakeholders don’t know how to interpret them.

Read more…

Startups: The Upside of a Downturn

BusinessWeek Viewpoint

November 7, 2008, 11:00AM EST

By Vivek Wadhwa

My advice for tech entrepreneurs thinking of launching right now? Don’t wait. A recession can be your ally in building a lean, thriving company. Read more…

How to Avoid Making a Bad Presentation

By: Dan Heath & Chip Heath
How to prevent bad PowerPoint from happening to good people.

If constructing a presentation can be pure anxiety, then listening to one can be sheer agony. Both sides dread the experience. It’s like a breakup talk with fewer tears and more clip art. Poor presentations cost companies sales, damage their reputations, and waste executives’ time. Learn how to avoid making a bad presentation by reading the original article here.

The Ergonomics of Innovation

from The McKinsey Quarterly

Many people and organizations find it difficult to be as innovative as they would like. Yet there are concrete steps organizations can take that can make it easier to stimulate innovation and change. Read more…