The Startup Law Playbook

Best Practices & Advice From the "Entrepreneur's Lawyer," Scott Edward Walker. This eBook is an organized and structured compilation of Scott's Edward Walker's best advice and practices from his blog, www.walkercorporatelaw.com/blog. For entrepreneurs of all sorts, The Startup Law Playbook is a roadmap for all legal issues and concerns related to startup endeavors. Scott is the founder and CEO of Walker Corporate Law Group, PLLC, a boutique corporate law firm specializing in the representation of entrepreneurs. Scott has over 17 years of broad corporate law experience, including nearly eight years at two prominent New York City law firms, where he represented major multinational corporations and financial institutions in billion-dollar transactions. Known as the “entrepreneur’s lawyer,” Scott launched Walker Corporate Law Group in 2004 and has built a strong team of lawyers who are committed to helping entrepreneurs succeed, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C. Chapter Outline: Introduction Letter To Readers Chapter 1: Launching A Venture 101 — Formation Issues 10 things to get you thinking like a lawyer Chapter 2: Show Me The Money! Raising Capital Dealing with investors & securities laws The Top 10 Dos & Don’ts For Raising Capital Chapter 3: But I Don’t Know Any Angels! Where to go if you’re not connected Chapter 4: Pitching Your Potential 5 common mistakes to avoid in your pitch deck Chapter 5: Doing Deals Like The “Big Boys” How to negotiate like a big industry player Chapter 6: Who Gets What? 5 tips for founder vesting & splitting equity Chapter 7: How Do I Value My Startup? Figuring out what your company is worth to investors Chapter 8: Issuing Stock Options 10 tips for entrepreneurs Chapter 9: Minority Stockholder Rights Get familiar with state law rights Chapter 10: How To Cut Your Legal Bills In Half & Should you use your investor’s lawyer? Chapter 11: Conclusion Guts, Desire and Passion

Get the real guidance you need to create and build your first startup company from founders who have been there many times before. The first run printing of The Startup Playbook SOLD OUT! So, we revised, expanded, and improved this second edition, including a new foreword by Brad Feld, author of Venture Deals. We still give our personal, how-to guide for building your startup from the ground up. You'll find a collection of the major lessons and shortcuts we've learned that will shift the odds in your favor. We're sharing our tips, secrets, and advice in a frank, founder-to-founder discussion with you. We make no bones about our bias. We're on your side, the founder's side. While venture capitalists, investors, and accelerators/incubators can add great value in the startup ecosystem, this book isn't about their points of view. We'll tell you where our interests as founders diverge from those on the other side of the table—investors, bankers, advisors, board members, and others—and what to do when that happens. The Startup Playbook is not a recipe, it's not a template, it's not a list of tasks to do. It's our insider's guide to starting a company and running it successfully in those critical early months. Between us, we've started over a dozen high-tech software companies and raised over $500 million in investment capital. We've acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of our startups go public, sold six of them, and we made billions of dollars for shareholders. We've also invested in over eighty startups, advised and mentored over two hundred companies and actively worked with venture capitalists (VCs), incubators, and accelerators to help launch many other new startups. We've had plenty of failures, too. And we've probably learned more from those than from the successes. We share those lessons as well. The Startup Playbook is full of our advice, guidance, do's, and don'ts from our years of experience as founders many times. We want to share our hard-earned knowledge with you to make success easier for you to achieve. "This book is extraordinarily fresh and exciting. In an accessible, straight talk fashion, this book is a manual, and an inspiration. The Startup Playbook is smart and avoids the 'I am so smart' over-writing endemic to the genre. Read this as it is presented. You'll be doing yourself a tremendous favor." —Amazon Reviewer

"The Startup Playbook covers a wide range of topics, including idea generation, product development, marketing, fundraising, and team building Overall, "The Startup Playbook" is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in starting a startup, whether they are a first-time entrepreneur or a seasoned business professional. 

The Tax Rules Have Changed. Your Business Should, Too. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 marks the biggest tax reform in more than 30 years. The changes to the tax code are complex (especially for the small-business owner), but you don't have to go it alone. CPA and Attorney Mark J. Kohler delivers a comprehensive analysis of the new tax and legal structure you desperately need to help make the new tax law work for you. In this revised edition of The Tax and Legal Playbook, Kohler reveals clear-cut truths about tax and legal planning and delivers a practical, play-by-play guide that helps you build wealth, save on taxes, and protect your assets. Using real-world case studies, tax-savvy tips, game plans, and discussion points, Kohler coaches you through the complexities of the tax game of the small-business owner. You'll also learn how to: Examine your business needs and pick the right business entity for you Build your personal and corporate credit in eight steps Implement affordable asset protection strategies Take advantage of underutilized business tax deductions Pick the right health-care, retirement, and estate plans Bring on partners and investors the right way Plan for your future with self-directed retirement funds Reading from cover to cover or refer to each chapter as needed, you will come away wiser and better equipped to make the best decisions for your business, your family, and yourself.

Get the real guidance you need to create and build your first startup company from founders who have been there many times before. The first run printing of The Startup Playbook SOLD OUT! So, we revised, expanded, and improved this second edition, including a new foreword by Brad Feld, author of Venture Deals. We still give our personal, how-to guide for building your startup from the ground up. You'll find a collection of the major lessons and shortcuts we've learned that will shift the odds in your favor. We're sharing our tips, secrets, and advice in a frank, founder-to-founder discussion with you. We make no bones about our bias. We're on your side, the founder's side. While venture capitalists, investors, and accelerators/incubators can add great value in the startup ecosystem, this book isn't about their points of view. We'll tell you where our interests as founders diverge from those on the other side of the table—investors, bankers, advisors, board members, and others—and what to do when that happens. The Startup Playbook is not a recipe, it's not a template, it's not a list of tasks to do. It's our insider's guide to starting a company and running it successfully in those critical early months. Between us, we've started over a dozen high-tech software companies and raised over $500 million in investment capital. We've acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of our startups go public, sold six of them, and we made billions of dollars for shareholders. We've also invested in over eighty startups, advised and mentored over two hundred companies and actively worked with venture capitalists (VCs), incubators, and accelerators to help launch many other new startups. We've had plenty of failures, too. And we've probably learned more from those than from the successes. We share those lessons as well. The Startup Playbook is full of our advice, guidance, do's, and don'ts from our years of experience as founders many times. We want to share our hard-earned knowledge with you to make success easier for you to achieve. "This book is extraordinarily fresh and exciting. In an accessible, straight talk fashion, this book is a manual, and an inspiration. The Startup Playbook is smart and avoids the 'I am so smart' over-writing endemic to the genre. Read this as it is presented. You'll be doing yourself a tremendous favor." —Amazon Reviewer

" ... [The author] shares the inspiring experiences, lessons, and words to the wise from more than forty founders, along with his own playbook for startup success"--Page 4 of cover.

Get the real guidance you need to create and build your first startup company from founders who have been there many times before. The first run printing of The Startup Playbook SOLD OUT! So, we revised, expanded, and improved this second edition, including a new foreword by Brad Feld, author of Venture Deals. We still give our personal, how-to guide for building your startup from the ground up. You'll find a collection of the major lessons and shortcuts we've learned that will shift the odds in your favor. We're sharing our tips, secrets, and advice in a frank, founder-to-founder discussion with you. We make no bones about our bias. We're on your side, the founder's side. While venture capitalists, investors, and accelerators/incubators can add great value in the startup ecosystem, this book isn't about their points of view. We'll tell you where our interests as founders diverge from those on the other side of the table—investors, bankers, advisors, board members, and others—and what to do when that happens. The Startup Playbook is not a recipe, it's not a template, it's not a list of tasks to do. It's our insider's guide to starting a company and running it successfully in those critical early months. Between us, we've started over a dozen high-tech software companies and raised over $500 million in investment capital. We've acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of our startups go public, sold six of them, and we made billions of dollars for shareholders. We've also invested in over eighty startups, advised and mentored over two hundred companies and actively worked with venture capitalists (VCs), incubators, and accelerators to help launch many other new startups. We've had plenty of failures, too. And we've probably learned more from those than from the successes. We share those lessons as well. The Startup Playbook is full of our advice, guidance, do's, and don'ts from our years of experience as founders many times. We want to share our hard-earned knowledge with you to make success easier for you to achieve. "This book is extraordinarily fresh and exciting. In an accessible, straight talk fashion, this book is a manual, and an inspiration. The Startup Playbook is smart and avoids the 'I am so smart' over-writing endemic to the genre. Read this as it is presented. You'll be doing yourself a tremendous favor." —Amazon Reviewer

In this guide Author Edward Dumas - paralegal, researcher, and a premiere business manager has now published a decade of business litigation experience, paralegal research, and a collection of the most important legal forms to operating a legitimate business and corporation. This book is a legal guide and is the most comprehensive book on how to start, manage, and structure a business, corporation, and professional life, with a California emphasis, using a variety of legal forms, letters, and sample formats. This guide is the perfect manual containing forms for creditors, clients, shareholders, directors, and assistants. Over 300 pages of business forms, laws, and regulations needed to navigate, startup, and profit in the corporate, professional, and business legal environment today. A perfect guide to how to use the popular "IRAC" method; an indepth review of the American Federal system, doctrines, and current practices. This publication does not substitute for the advice of an attorney nor solicit for legal advice.