Bringing On a Co-Founder: What to Settle Before the Handshake
Bringing on a co-founder without vesting, IP assignment, and a written split is how companies die. Six mistakes and how to fix them before you sign.
Convertible Notes vs Equity: 5 Costly Startup Traps
How founders choose between convertible notes vs equity — dilution, SEC rules, and 2025 QSBS changes explained.
Should Your Business Pay Corporate Tax? 5 Key Factors
Should your business pay corporate tax? Compare the 21% C-corp rate with pass-through and QBI to see 5 smart factors that decide the right entity.
Roll-Ups Are Brutal in the Documents
A roll-up acquisition lives or dies in the documents. See 7 brutal clauses reps, earnouts, escrows, equity rollover that decide who really wins.
Friends and Family Round: How to Raise Without Breaking Relationships
A friends and family round can fund your startup or fracture your family. Learn the securities, documentation, and cap table rules to get right first.
LLC for Startups: Flexible, but Awkward for Venture Capital
An LLC for startups is flexible but awkward once you raise venture capital. See why VCs prefer C-corps, the QSBS and option traps, and when to convert.
Cap Table 101: How Startup Ownership Really Works
A cap table tracks who owns your startup and how much. Learn cap table basics, dilution, notes, the option pool, and the errors that erode founder ownership.
Accredited Investor Rules: What Founders Must Know in 2026
Accredited investor rules decide who can back your raise. Learn the 2026 income and net worth tests, verification traps, and how founders stay compliant.
Equity for Services: 7 Costly Tax Traps to Avoid
Paying with equity for services is the oldest trick in the startup playbook. Cash is tight, talent is expensive, and a slice of ownership feels free to hand out. It is not. The moment you trade stock for work, you create tax consequences, dilution, and a relationship that needs real paperwork, and skipping any of […]
Authorized and Outstanding Shares: 5 Costly Mistakes
Few things trip up new founders faster than the difference between authorized and outstanding shares. The terms sound interchangeable, they show up on the same cap table, and getting them backwards can lead to bad math on ownership, dilution, and even your tax bill. They are not the same thing, and the gap between them […]