Lead to Win Lead to Win “Operations” June 23, 2009 Chuck Colford and Brian Hurley “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things”… - Lewis Carroll …A great many things indeed
Jan 16, 2015
Lead to Win
Lead to Win
“Operations” June 23, 2009
Chuck Colford and Brian Hurley
“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things”…
- Lewis Carroll
…A great many things indeed
Lead to Win
Operations – Not such a dirty job
It can always be worse…
Slide 2
Lead to Win
Scope of Operations
• Finance • Human Resources • Engineering • Manufacturing and Supply Chain • Customer Support • Product Management • Marketing • Sales • Site Management • ICT • Board of Directors • Investors • Advisors
Slide 3
Lead to Win
Scope of Operations
• You will not be an expert in all domains – and don’t need to be
• You do need to know how to build a team and get results from the team
• You do need to know about where the bear-traps are – learn from the mistakes and pain of others
Slide 4
Lead to Win Slide 5
Agenda
• The Team • Steering the Ship • Selling Related Finger Food • Money Related Fun • Burnt Flesh Potpourri
Lead to Win
Self-Awareness is Important to Operational Success
• Know yourself • Cover your weaknesses • Hire people who are better
than you to strengthen the team
• Learn from your mistakes… or better yet, from the mistakes of others
Slide 6
Lead to Win
Hiring Great People
• Structured interview approach against a written role description to probe if they are suitable candidates
• During initial call: – Be explicit about what the expectations are in your start-up
relative to a big company – better to scare them away then hire the wrong person
– Share company’s objectives and vision – they must want to be part of the quest
– Share your company culture – it must resonate
• Invest time and resources on candidate selection in stages, e.g.
– Call with designated internal recruiter – Meeting with hiring manager – Meetings with other team members – Reference checks – Offer/negotiation
Slide 7
Lead to Win
Hiring Lots of Great People Quickly
• Get a professional to lead the effort
• Centralize the effort and establish a pipeline process
• Prepare a hiring collateral package
• Only bring in working staff for good candidates
• Get creative on attracting attention and buzz
• Great people know great people
• Keep the bar high
Slide 8
http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/288580326461284.php
Lead to Win
Terminating People Who Don’t Fit
• Formal employment agreements make things easier – “Without cause” terms should be defined in contract
• Engage HR professional – easier to do it right than to deal with consequences of a poorly executed termination
• Treat employee with respect • Never hire anyone you are not willing to fire
– Avoid hiring founder’s relatives or spouses – Avoid hiring friends – Avoid hiring investor friends or relatives – etc
• If you ever enjoy firing people you should consult a doctor
Slide 9
Lead to Win
Rock Stars (“Big Names”) Can Help or Hinder
• Big Names can help – Experience – Open Doors – Reduce interval to sales – Help recruit
• Typical Roles – Advisor – Management – Board Member
• How – Personal relationships and
introductions – Don’t be shy
• Why – Exciting Vision – Upside – People – Personal visibility – Access to people or companies – Retired and bored
Slide 10
• Big Names can Hinder – Big ego – May not actually work
very hard – May not deliver on
commitments – May not hang around
long – May work to replace the
founders – May try to redirect the
company into a company they want to do (or have done in the past)
– ….
Lead to Win
Hiring is NOT your only option
• Escape your “employee mindset” experience – Many of you will bootstrap and grow by contracting – So why then is the natural instinct to fill up with employees?
• Advantages to using contractors – “Try before you buy” – Easy to escape bad recruiting decisions – Limited obligation – reduces your liability – Supports variability of your business – Good sub-contractors can become great advocates
• Disadvantages – Less “loyalty” (often overstated – HBR “They’re not your
people”) – More turnover & recruiting efforts to replenish – Grant incentives may not apply (SRED, et.al) – Harder to establish “brand”
Best of both worlds is possible –
Contract first and hire if good fit
Slide 11
Lead to Win
Outsourcing by Function
• Very common to outsource things that are not: – Your core competency – Where you build value
• Common functions – IT, Website development & maintenance – Office Manager, Clerical, Payroll – Bookkeeping, Accounting – Legal Counsel, IP (Patent Agent) work – HR – Specific Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) as required
• SRED or IRAP write-ups • Sales, Marketing
Getting the right expertise when required may be critical to success
Slide 12
Lead to Win
Outsourcing – Thinking Outside the Box
• Pay an open source or shareware developer to install, personalize or add a key feature to their application so it better serves your business
• Rather than cash: Can services be bartered, paid in stock or warrants?
• Variable rates: Pay one rate pre-revenue; then top up to premium rate post revenue?
Consider all possibilities! Do what makes sense.
Slide 13
Lead to Win
Subcontractor Agreements
• When dealing with subcontractors, where you direct the work, you should always put in place a standard sub-contractor agreement.
• Why? – Rate, payment schedule, GST in/out, termination notice periods
are clearly established – It legally identifies them or their corporate identity including
business/GST number – Defines who owns IP – Liability: what if they damage clients facilities, breach security? – NDA, confidentiality requirements. Any security clearances or
checks required – Reporting requirements; Scope of work defined. – Supports you when audited “So – what is this cheque you wrote
for?”
These are NOT rocket science –
your legal counsel will have one.
Use it!
Slide 14
Lead to Win
Advisors Can Fill Gaps Inexpensively
• Engage experts to be advisors: – In areas of weakness (e.g. sales) – Where it is too early to hire a full time person – Where they can provide a customer perspective – Where they are a potential partner or channel to
customers – To provide credibility
• Limited time commitment – a few hours a week or a month
• Advisor compensation: – Free – usually as long as the work is interesting,
pleasant and not excessive – Stock – Retainer/honorarium/contract (i.e. cash)
Slide 15
Lead to Win Slide 16
Agenda
• The Team • Steering the Ship • Selling Related Finger Food • Money Related Fun • Burnt Flesh Potpourri
Lead to Win
Managing Teams – Vision, Culture
• Vision – Points the way, generates
excitement and common purpose • Culture
– Sets the context for independent and group actions in situations not formally specified, establishes norms
Slide 17
“There go my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader”
– Mahatma Ganhdi
Lead to Win
Managing Teams – Take Charge
• Only one leader – Not a democracy – All the founders can not be the CEO
• Set Roles and Responsibilities – Reporting structure – formal organization chart – Decision Making Authority – For work and people management – not rigid communications silos – Orients new staff
• Setting Objectives – Company, Individual – Must do, WBN
• Staff performance management – Dealing with low performance – Dealing with disruptive individuals – Regular reviews and feedback
• Staff development – Informal, formal – Selective apprenticeship
Slide 18
“When in command… take charge”
Lead to Win
Managing Teams – Day to Day
• Regular staff meetings – efficient, regular (even if you are not there) • Action registers – with follow-up and load balancing • Make compromises explicit and formally managed • Common (enforced) secure file repository (more on this later) • Common (simple) reporting
– Limit formal reporting to what is required to get the job done and consistent with phase
• All-hands meetings – inform, motivate, celebrate, socialize • Transparency – be open in sharing information and responding to
questions • Accessibility
– Open door policy – Management by walking around – engage, ask to hear the problems and over
-communicate the vision/plans/successes – Skip-level lunch meetings – inform, engage, socialize
• Carry the water when required • Lead by example – your actions define the acceptable “norm” • Formal policies as (and when) required, e.g. use of open source,
working from home, vacation management, travel, expenses
Slide 19
Lead to Win
Bringing the Team to Bear
• Listen more than you talk – Use active listening techniques where you summarize
for understanding and confirmation
• Seek out and engage all team members – Control group discussions in a positive manner to
draw out the quiet members
• Use delegation effectively and frequently • Learn and use common methods to allow a
team to: – Make decisions – Solve problems – Develop new ideas – Learn from the past and look to the future – Engage in continuous improvement – Manage conflict constructively
Slide 20
Lead to Win
Delegation
• Clearly define the task – What – When – Scope of authority – Resources available – Reporting requirements
• Select the best person for the job • Train your staff for the tasks • Motivate people by trusting them • Get and give feedback
– How do they feel about their progress?
• Let the assigned people to do the work! – Avoid jumping in or interfering
Slide 21
Bring everyone to bear on building the business
Lead to Win
Problem Solving Techniques
• Appreciation - Extracting maximum information from facts • 5 Whys - Getting quickly to the root of a problem. • Cause & Effect Diagrams - Identifying likely causes of problems • Affinity Diagrams - Organizing ideas into common themes • Appreciative Inquiry - Solving problems by looking at what's going right • Flow Charts - Understanding process flows • Risk Analysis and Risk Management • SWOT - Analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats • PEST Analysis - Understanding "big picture" forces of change • The Marketing Mix and the 4 Ps - Understanding how to position your
market offering • The Ansoff Matrix - Understanding the different risks of different options • The Boston Matrix - Focusing effort to give the greatest returns • Porter's Five Forces - Understanding the balance of power in a situation • Core Competence Analysis - Get ahead. Stay ahead. • USP Analysis - Finding your competitive edge • Critical Success Factors - Identifying the things that really matter for
success • The Greiner Curve - Surviving the crises that come with growth • The McKinsey 7S Framework - Ensuring all parts of your organization
work in harmony
Slide 22
www.mindtools.com
Lead to Win
Leveraging Creativity
• Reversal - Improving products and services • SCAMPER - Generating new products and services • Attribute Listing, Morphological and Matrix Analysis - Creating
new products, services and strategies • Brainstorming - Generating many radical ideas
• Reverse Brainstorming - A different approach to brainstorming • Reframing Matrix - Looking with different perspectives
• Concept Fan - Widening the search for solutions
• Random Input - Making creative leaps • Provocation - Carrying out thought experiments
• DO IT - A simple process for creativity
• Simplex - A powerful problem solving process • TRIZ - A powerful methodology for creative problem solving
Slide 23
www.mindtools.com
Lead to Win
Decision Making Techniques
• Pareto Analysis - Choosing what to change • Paired Comparison Analysis - Working out the relative
importance of different options • Grid Analysis - Making a choice taking into account many
factors • PMI - Weighing the pros and cons of a decision • Force Field Analysis - Analyzing the pressures for and
against change • Six Thinking Hats - Looking at a decision from different
perspectives • Starbursting - Understanding options better by
brainstorming questions • Stepladder Technique - Making better group decisions • Cost/Benefit Analysis - Seeing whether a decision makes
financial sense • Cash Flow Forecasting with Spreadsheets - Analyzing
whether an idea is financially viable • Decision Trees - Choosing by valuing different options
Slide 24
www.mindtools.com
Lead to Win
Decision Making – Who, What, When
Key concepts: • Who owns the responsibility?
– Designated – Delegated
• What stakeholders are affected? • Quality - Are all the facts and alternatives known? • Time - How long until the call must be made?
A BAD decision is one that: – Is made by the wrong person - Violates delegation or authority – Does not consider the impact on the stakeholders – Is unsupportable by the majority of stakeholders – Is made in haste (before facts and alternatives are understood) – Takes too long (occurs too late to have impact, squanders resources)
Don’t confuse a bad decision with a bad outcome
Slide 25
Lead to Win
Decision Making – Calling the Shots
When the person who owns the decision is known (lets assume it is you), various styles may be employed to make it:
1. You decide alone. 2. You seek information and then decide alone. 3. You consult with individuals and then decide alone. 4. You consult with the group and then decide alone. 5. You share the problem with the group and you all
mutually decide what to do. • None of the above are wrong. • The person who owns the decision chooses. • When choosing to consult for information or advise, be careful
not to send the wrong signals – if you plan to make the call yourself.
Leadership is always situational!
Slide 26
Lead to Win
Decision Making – Balancing buy-in with Action
• Since the Magna Carta – the King has not had absolute power: – The CEO serves at the pleasure of the Board – The customer can take their business elsewhere – “They’re not your people” – They can leave with 2 weeks notice – So… Buy in is important
• You must balance need for “buy-in” with need to move forward • You will fail if you try to please all the people all the time
– Leadership is not about popularity – All your decisions will not be loved (It sucks to be you - get over it!)
• You will exhaust yourself and your team if everyone needs to be involved in everything
– Use decision style #5 sparingly – for serious or “bet the company” issues
– Beware compromise – It produces horrible results! Compromise is often a position that no-one supports.
– Instead, strive for consensus – A decision that everyone can agree to support (rather than undermine)
Very few decisions are fatal –
Get on with it!
Slide 27
Lead to Win
Decision Making Tips – “House Rules”
1. Wait until the last minute - but not a minute later. "If you're not going to do anything differently tomorrow by making a decision today, then don't make it today. Situations change; markets shift. That's not an excuse to procrastinate. But the best decisions are just-in-time decisions. You should decide as late as possible - but before you need to take action."
2. Don't be afraid to argue. "Conflict is good for an organization - as long as it's resolved quickly. Unresolved conflict is a killer. That's why real leaders deal with conflict head-on. They take individual feelings seriously, but then they get beyond those feelings. One way to make progress on a tough decision is to agree on what the question is. Agree on the wording and write it down. Debate often stems from having different ideas about what's being decided."
3. Make the right decision, not the best decision. "People can spend months debating the 'best' decision without actually arriving at any decision. Every decision involves risk. And if there are 10 ways to do something, 8 of them will probably work. So pick 1 of the 8 and get going. Life's too short. You have 10 more decisions to make after this 1."
4. Disagree - and then commit. "Not everyone gets a chance to decide, but everyone should have a chance to be heard. Without at doubt, the most vigorous debates yield the best thinking. But once a decision is made, you should not be able to tell who was for it and who was against it. Fully supporting decisions that have been properly made is a condition of employment."
- Dave House – Bay Networks Slide 28
Lead to Win
Conflict Management
• Conflict is natural - happens in every organization
• Conflict is good – brings out different points of view
• Unresolved conflict is a killer – stops progress, destroys teams
Slide 29
Lead to Win
Conflict Management – Straight Talk
• Address the issues directly with the person with whom you have the conflict – You may have misunderstood – They may have misunderstood – They may not have all the information
you have – You may not have all the information
they have
• If possible do it privately and 1 on 1
Slide 30
Lead to Win
Conflict Management – Straight Talk
Slide 31
If you are in disagreement:
• State up front that you disagree – explain why
• Ask the other person to state why they came to their decision
• Do not attack • Actively listen – ask questions
and get clarification – be open to change
If someone disagrees with you:
• Listen to their position • Do not be defensive – consider
alternative options • Actively listen and feed back what
you think you heard • State your position • Ask questions – be receptive to
change
Lead to Win
Conflict Management – Straight Talk
Slide 32
Recognize the conflict
Address directly
State your case
Listen
Escalate
Discuss
Gather more data or meet with consultant
Implement
Agreement Need
information/ consultant
YES
YES
NO
NO
Lead to Win
Time Management
• Time management is extraordinarily important!
• Self-discipline • Key elements of effective time
management: – Goal Setting – Activity Planning – Prioritization – Prioritized To Do Lists – Scheduling – Managing Interruptions
Slide 33
http://blog.iqmatrix.com
Lead to Win
Avoid Busywork from Investors
• Investors will tend to use their portfolio companies – To extend their own personal research and support groups – Which defocuses you and sucks time and energy – Common practice is to call up a portfolio company to do research on
other deal flow items • “What do you think about…” • “I need a white paper on…” • “How would your offer stack up against…”
• Even if you delegate, you will be dragged into discussions later • It is a slippery slope
– Carefully balance collaboration goals with need to keep your business focused on winning customers.
– Once you have done a few, the precedence is established and it is more work to wean them off
– Be mindful what is occurring.
Slide 34
Lead to Win
Meeting Tips
• Very few meetings make you any money – minimize these – Always ask yourself “Why do we need to have this meeting?” – Know before it starts – Know what you will have when it is done.
• Not everyone needs to be in every meeting – When you have a small team, it is important to manage time well since it is so scarce. – If a key player is missing consider rescheduling; rather than having the same meeting twice. – Bring who you need to meeting but not more then you need
• “Start on-time/finish on-time” is a cultural thing – You will set the example and lead culture – You get what you demonstrate and tolerate. – No golden rule, but avoid mixed messages.
• Informal (break and meal) times are often highly productive – Frequently seen to be more valuable than the formal portion – Don’t skip these – Especially when bringing multi-site people together – For off-site meetings to pay; you need to keep people together off-hours to extract the value
• Get in the habit of documenting – Purpose, Participants, Agreements and Actions – Blog, Wiki probably better than email – You can then see if you are getting value, – And if you are following through
Slide 35
Lead to Win
Meetings - A Team Model (Projects)
• Core Team: • this is the project team accountable for the
deliverables • the team sets it’s objectives and plans • members are on the team for the project duration
and commit to be at all team sessions • should identify a set of Subject Mater Experts , or
Interested Presenters for info/skills required
• Subject Matter Experts, Invited Presenters: • are prepared to provide info or give team detailed
technical guidance • are not required to be at team meetings unless
needed by core team • are able to use their time in team interaction more
effectively
• Listeners: • people with applicable interest in the outcome of
the team • may be on distribution for all team minutes • can send info to team or give feedback
Listeners
Subject Matter Experts
Invited Presenters
Core Team
The Curious
Slide 36
Lead to Win Slide 37
Agenda
• The Team • Steering the Ship • Selling Related Finger Food • Money Related Fun • Burnt Flesh Potpourri
Lead to Win
Don’t Let People See the Dog
• PowerPoint template – fonts, colors, format • Email signature • Logo variants allowed – on dark or light
background, with tagline and without • Letterhead template • Business cards template and common vendor to
produce • Brochure template • Establish basic common collateral set: company
/product awards, corporate overview, product overview, etc
• Domain name and standard email naming convention, e.g. [email protected]
– Don’t use personal email addresses for business purposes!
• Professional website – even if only one slick-looking page
• Use a professional to polish important presentation slide sets, e.g. www.bittnerdesigns.com
Slide 38
Lead to Win
Sales Management Basics
• Define: – Sales plan – target customers and characteristics – Sales process – steps from qualification to close – Sales pipeline – estimate volume at each sales step, ratios don’t lie – Sales targets – quarterly, core element of business plan – CRM tool – Salesforce, SugarCRM, etc
• Staff to ratios as necessary to meet your sales targets • Hire appropriate to your stage and your sales model
– Not all “sales” roles are the same (e.g. hardware/software) and include roles such as: Business Development, Channel/Partner Development, Sales, Inside Sales, Marketing, Technical Sales Engineer, Product Manager
• Establish compensation plan based on need/phase – First sale? Volume? Margin? New Market Penetration?
• Weekly sales team reviews – Review from CRM tool – make it the bible – Look at what isn’t working – adjust, adjust, adjust – Replace sales staff that are not a good fit or are not delivering
Slide 39
Lead to Win
Lead to Win Example 2009 Pipeline
Slide 40
Unique Website Visitor
Application Downloaded
Application Submitted
Application Accepted
Complete Phase 2
Launch a new
Business
100% 3% 12% 80% 84% 50%
900 27 3.24 2.59 2.17 1.08
Pipeline Stages
Conversion % From One Stage to the Next
Numbers for LTW To Generate 1 New Business
Lead to Win
Tip: Not all Customers make good Leads
Customer Leads not same as Lead Customers
• Must differentiate amongst the three to use finite resources/time wisely.
• Early wins are about relationships –Must manage to a small number of simultaneous trials - staggered windows; make each one “feel” special.
• Managing expectations is just as important as managing deliverables.
• Validate before you scale up.
• In ramp – methods change – Can’t make each customer feel special.
3 types of pre-sales “customer encounters”
1. Baiting the Hook – Generate awareness, interest, pull – Demo, Trade Show, Press, Partner or channel
recommendation 2. Product validation
– Get your product right – Alpha Trial, Beta Trial, pre-GA soak
3. Customer acceptance – Generate revenue – Lab Trial (CAT), Bake Off
You may blow your brains out if you try to do validation with #3 (Early adopters are a different breed)
Slide 41
Lead to Win
Calling on Customers - Tips
• Respect the customary dress codes – Business attire as appropriate to the locale
• Manhattan, TO Financial District – Suit & Tie (gents) • Pressed shirt, Belt • Silicon Valley – No tie; Golf shirt; jacket probably
– When was the last time those shoes were polished? – Personal grooming is important – Haircut, Shave…
• Take an extra shirt – Coffee spills happen at the worst times!
• Be on time – Traffic sucks in big cities (even if you know they way) – I usually skip hotel breakfast; get to the client’s building early and eat
nearby – If so, take toothbrush and/or mouthwash to freshen up before meeting
• An umbrella can be a life saver
Treat EA’s with great respect – They can literally open or close doors
Slide 42
Lead to Win
Contain Feature Creep
Slide 43
Resist the urge to add in “features” before the core product works.
- Graphic
- – Peter Evans (Riverdale Partners)
Lead to Win Slide 44
Agenda
• The Team • Steering the Ship • Selling Related Finger Food • Money Related Fun • Burnt Flesh Potpourri
Lead to Win
Money Related Fun Stuff
Slide 45
• Managing Cash • Managing Cost • Managing Equity
Lead to Win
Budgeting and Cash Management
How Any Firm Fails: Run out of Money Airplanes crash when they run out of altitude prematurely.
Cash is your altitude!
Dollars (& credit) on hand + Money IN - Money OUT --------------------- must be > $ 0 to survive
NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE IDEA!
Starting altitude + rate of climb x time - rate of descent x time --------------------- must be > 0 to survive (unless you are over a runway.)
EVEN IF THE PLANE IS PERFECT!
• Someone in the firm MUST be responsible for managing cash flow
– Monthly projection of what is coming in / going out – Accounting package or spreadsheet is fine – Closer management when the cash is getting low – Keep track of all liabilities – Always remit your payroll taxes!
Slide 46
Lead to Win
Watch Cash Outflow & the Bottom Line
Net Cash Flow
• Early detection creates more opportunity to work the issues.
Are you tracking to plan?
Getting better or worse?
Slide 47
Lead to Win
Group Benefit Plans • Your company can buy coverage similar to big firms
– Dental, Vision care, Prescription and Hospital • Typically need 6 members or more
– Varies by supplier • Small groups will likely need medical evidence for each participant
– Histories – Medical tests
• Suppliers: Insurance brokers or Canada’s large Insurance companies • Beware: US coverage can be VERY expensive • Initial US coverage options:
– Use COBRA and pay their benefits cost – Pay a monthly supplemental benefit for them to use for a private plan (which
goes away when company plan is in place written in as part of employment contract)
• Possible to put in place self coverage – But make sure it is capped (unlimited exposure would be bad!) – Understand administration effort required
Slide 48
Lead to Win
Travel Cost Tips (Small team) • Even as a small team, you can manage your travel costs well
– Plan ahead; arrange multiple visits on each trip – Visit your local travel agents – find one who wants your business
and book through them; Saves you time – Leverage your client’s corporate rates/travel agent – Negotiate with hotels; Ask for the day manager; Visit while on
other trips. Even on a few trips this can make a difference – www.priceline.com plus BetterBidding.com (see
www.mahalo.com/how-to-successfully-bid-on-travel) – Flights: www.flightnetwork.com (Canada) www.webflyer.com – Hotel FFPs – Save on food, internet, phone – IP Phone or Skype work well in many locations – Beware cell-phone plan roaming charges; hotel LD charges
• You can go too far! – Safety is important – Location is important – Cleanliness is important
Always a balance of time vs. money –
Don’t waste $100/hr time for something that can be done for $10/hr
Slide 49
Lead to Win
Travel Cost Tips (Large team)
• Travel approval process – control, control, control – what, who, why – do you really need 2 people at the same conference?
• Travel and expense policy – limits, expectations on what is considered allowable/reimbursable, rentals, hotel rates, meals, sundry, entertainment, economy/biz class, etc
• Designate one person who is authorized to book and manage all authorized travel arrangements – consistency, speed, expertise, accountability -- $10/hour versus $100/hour labor
• Traveling to same location repeatedly (or having staff come to main office repeatedly) – negotiate a special rate at a hotel and mandate its use, rent an apartment
• Use corporate credit cards – tracking, simplify expensing, make it easier for employees
Control
Process
Mandate
Slide 50
Lead to Win
Avoid Costs (time, goods, legal) Due to Theft
• Locked filing cabinets • Locked management offices • Locked, controlled access to labs • Controlled access to labs • IT staff access to files/systems • IT security (control of root/admin passwords), password logs • Document shredding, e.g. ShredIt • Employee badges and electronic access • Sign-in of guests • High value asset control and security, e.g. processor chip vault, laptops • Desktop security, e.g. locks, passwords • Laptop policy, e.g. lockup in desk afterhours, locked to desk during day • IT security, e.g. WiFi WPA security, SSL VPN, Firewall • After-hour access • Backup of all desktop, laptop, server data, e.g. incremental and off-site
storage/rotation of backups
Slide 51
Lead to Win
Costs – Tips for other than travel
• Space – Sublet from someone who has downsized – Share with others – Beware the long term lease commitment! Fixed costs can
be deadly
• Capital Equipment – Borrow from someone who has it – Buy used (eBay, Kajiji, Craigs list, your peer network …) – Auctions (Going out of business sales) – Bank lease to cover
• Your banker can help with these (secured credit easier to get, but likely will not finance the full value of the asset)
Slide 52
Lead to Win
Maintaining Shareholder Records
• Your corporate lawyer may be a good place to keep your minute book • They may also have facilities to securely store founders stock
certificates so they never get lost – ask. – It can be a major issue if those stock certificates get lost – They may be needed for surrender to close certain exit deals
• They or you will need to maintain a Shareholder’s Register: – Simple 5 column spreadsheet – Who owns what
Date of Issue Name Address Shares Class
April 1, 2009 John Smith 1 Endless Loop, Cupertino, CA, USA
1000 Class A Common
Slide 53
Lead to Win
Cap Table – Example (pre Series-A)
$100,000 500,000 = $0.20/share
Post-money Valuation
Pre-money Valuation Contributed Capital
4,000,000 x $0.20 = $800,000 ($100,000) $700,000
Private investor negotiates to buy
12.5% of company for $100,000
Slide 54
Lead to Win
$4M pre + $4M new = $8M post
Post-money Valuation
Pre-money Valuation Contributed Capital
10,000,000 x $0.80 = $8,000,000 ($4,000,000) $4,000,000
An Up Round $8,000,000 10,000,000 = $0.80/share
Cap Table – Example (post Series-A)
Slide 55
VC negotiates to invest $4M, and “gives” you a pre-money value of $4M
- But you must top up option pool to 15% first
Lead to Win
$4M pre + $4M new = $8M post
Post-money Valuation
Pre-money Valuation Contributed Capital
10,000,000 x $0.80 = $8,000,000 ($4,000,000) $4,000,000
An Up Round $8,000,000 10,000,000 = $0.80/share
Cap Table – Example (post Series-A)
Slide 56
$4,000,000 6,000,000 = $0.67/share
Post-money Valuation
Pre-money Valuation Contributed Capital
11,175,000 x $0.67 = $7,450,000 ($4,000,000) $3,450,000
An Up Round
Must factor in the added ESOP Dilution! VC negotiates to invest $4M, and “gives” you a pre-money value of $4M
- But you must top up option pool to 15% first
Lead to Win
Cap Table – Impact of Dilution & Valuation
• In this example: – Founders holdings more than doubled (grew by $1.4M) – Your Angel did not get crammed down (it was an up-round), but they did not
participate pro-rata on the follow on – The VCs used the Option Pool trick to give you a seemingly higher pre money value – You lost control – you are now an employee, and the VC’s have enough options to
incent/recruit your replacement
Slide 57
Lead to Win
Ways to Use Stock Options
• Attracting Talent – Sharing in success / upside – Negotiation flexibility
• Retaining Talent – Key employees
• Incentives to Drive Results – Give bonus options on completion of a milestone – Can be partially vested upon award
• Cash Conservation – Give more options, less cash
Slide 58
Lead to Win Slide 59
Agenda
• The Team • Steering the Ship • Selling Related Finger Food • Money Related Fun • Burnt Flesh Potpourri
Lead to Win
Potpourri - Definition
1. A combination of incongruous things
2. A miscellaneous anthology or collection
3. A mixture of dried flower petals and spices used to scent the air
Slide 60
Lead to Win
Know Your Personal Risk Tolerance
• As an entrepreneur – know your risk tolerance
• Look at the worst possible outcome scenario for you personally – financial loss, lost reputation, lost opportunity, etc
• Can you live with the worst possible outcome?
• If not – stop now
Slide 61
Lead to Win
You Need Support
• Launching a new business is – hard work, long hours, stressful, can take you away from home for long periods of time, reduces your earnings at the front-end, can deplete your savings, …
• Ensure you have the support of your spouse and family
Slide 62
Lead to Win
Multi-site operations for young companies
• Access to mail – Gmail; imap; hosted exchange; Webmail via your ISP
• Access to Calendar – Gmail; hosted exchange; Plaxo; Tungle
• Contacts Database – Gmail; hosted exchange; Plaxo; Linked-in
• Voice/Voicemail – SIP (BYOD); Primus; Vonage; Skype; Good cell plan
• All data must be secure – SSH, VPN access to home office; between offices – Laptops should always have encrypted storage; and cable locks (in office
and on the road) – Never trust a computer you don’t know – Assume it is compromised
• Centralized document repository – SharePoint; Hosted server; Yahoo Groups; Google Docs (ITutility.net is a
local player) – Multiple people in groups need to collaborate – so authentication and
security controls are essential
Essentials • Files • Email • Voice • Schedule
Make sure your repository is backed up
Keep all needed templates there!
Slide 63
Lead to Win
Company Knowledge is Gold
• Knowledge is core to any business – product, design, customer relationship contact information, market research, HR information, marketing collateral, financial planning information, etc
• Must be centralized not distributed in an adhoc manner or held in people’s heads or held on people’s laptops or on scraps of paper…
• Uniform access to knowledge multiplies the team’s effectiveness
• Need to protect against people hoarding knowledge -- what happens if they leave or are terminated?
• Setup as appropriate CMS, file repository, CRM, ERP • Enforce and audit usage • Ensure backed-up • Ensure secure
Slide 64
Lead to Win
Live IT-free
• Avoid internal IT infrastructure (e.g. servers, internal applications)
• All basic business functionalities are available as an online service
• Cheaper then doing it yourself, e.g. hosted exchange, hosted SharePoint, hosted QuickBooks, hosted SVN, hosted CRM
• Less staff, less staff playing with IT, more functionality for less cost, backups handled automatically, available anywhere, pay as you grow, enforces a company standard
Slide 65
Lead to Win
NDA Practical Perspective
• Use to protect your ability to patent IP • Have a standard set of papers • Clear process on who signs and
authorizes changes • One person responsible to receive
/confirm and file the signed agreements • Assume everything you say or share will
eventually end up with a competitor
Slide 66
Lead to Win
Legal - Read the Fine Print on all Documents
The big print often draws your attention from the truly important messages
Slide 67
Lead to Win
Cheques & Fraud Prevention
• Authorizing outgoing cheques – Good practice is to have 2 authorized persons sign cheques above a
specified dollar amount; Some organizations require two for all – Sign as “Authorized Agent” or “Authorized…” – not personally – NEVER pre-sign cheques
• I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but I’ve seen it done!
• Endorsing received cheques (yes Virginia – This is why we Invoice)
– Rather than have an authorized person sign them – have the person who receives mail – STAMP them “For Deposit Only”.
– They may ONLY be deposited in the Company bank accounts.
Slide 68
Lead to Win
Pay Attention to Your Signature Line
• You will sign lots and lots of documents running your business • Only authorized officers can bind the company into contracts • Pay attention to the signature line – Exactly on who’s behalf
are you signing (“as”, “for” or “per”) – Make certain your company name is complete and correct – Ltd. Limited Inc. ,Inc. Corporation Corp. are not the same
• At law, if you sign on behalf or a company that does not legally exist, you may be personally undertaking the liability
MYCORP, INC. Per: ________________ John Smith President
________________ John Smith MyCorp
THE SMITH FAMILY TRUST Per:
Authorized Trustee
Slide 69
Lead to Win
Sh*t happens – Get over it!
If something has been done wrong – Don’t fret; Just fix it!
Don’t compound problems.
Learn from mistakes.
Slide 70
Lead to Win
Learning from the Past
• Hold “Good/Bad/Ugly” working sessions after each major milestone – product, sales, financing, etc
• Typical meeting flow: – Brainstorm using sticky notes – Good, Bad, Ugly – No ass-covering – open, honest, non-rationalizing – Group sticky notes into “like” – Rank the groups in each category
• Embrace and celebrate the Good • Reflect back on the top Bad and Ugly items
– Why, how could have been avoided or mitigated, etc
• Reflect forward/brainstorm on what to do differently • Develop forward looking actions
Slide 71
Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Lead to Win
Perseverance is Critical to Success
The Dark Night of
the
Innovator
OPT
IMIS
M
PESS
IMIS
M
WEEKS OR MONTHS
UP TO TWO YEARS
Slide 72
Lead to Win
Exercise Roundtable discussion
11:00 - breakout meetings 11:30 - breakout presentations back to group (10 minutes each) 12:00 - breakout presentations done
Sound off! 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, … you get the idea?
BREAK OUT GROUPS 1. Cash Conservation
– What can you do to save cash – What non-cash assets do you have and how can you leverage them
2. Survival Game – Linear phases of start-up company growth – Of topics and suggestions presented - what is most important and at what phase and
why 3. Time Management Tips
– Discuss and prepare a presentation back to the group on your best time management tips
– What are the top time management mistakes you have made and why?
Topics of interest
Group discussion
Slide 73
Lead to Win Slide 74
Wrap
• The walrus having drunk too long from the fire hose… took a much needed break.
Good luck – And Thank-you
Lead to Win
Effective Executives
Acquire knowledge they need
• Ask “what needs to be done?” • Ask “what is right for the organization?”
Convert knowledge into effective action
• Focus on opportunities rather than problems • Develop action plans • Take responsibility for their decisions • Take responsibility for communicating
Make the entire organization feel responsible and accountable
• Ran productive meetings • Always use “we” and not “I”
Slide 75
Lead to Win
Build and operate effective Boards
Upon completion, you will know about: • what entrepreneurs and investors want from Boards • gaps in Board memberships
And you will be able to: • select Board members • define Board responsibilities • help Board operate effectively
Lead to Win
Entrepreneurs want Boards to:
• Help obtain key resources (e.g., capital, information, partnerships, customers)
• Provide services (e.g., legal, mentoring, expertise)
• Guide changes in business strategy and respond to opportunities and crises
• Promote the company’s reputation
Lead to Win
Institutional investors want Boards to:
• Monitor executive behaviour, performance and compensation
• Select, control and replace the CEO
• Be independent from management
• Act in the interest of shareholders
• Guide changes in business strategy and respond to opportunities and crises
• Guard against infringements of the law
Lead to Win
Board emphases
• What Boards emphasize depends on: – Company’s stage of development – Number of outside vs inside directors
• Early stage Boards emphasize resource acquisition and services
• Mature stage Boards emphasize executive performance, legal issues and community impact
• Outside directors emphasize reviewing executive performance, employees and community
• Inside directors emphasize shareholders concerns
Lead to Win
Build an effective Board
• Select members who the CEO views as peers and have the time
• Each member must bring at least one competency
• Board as a whole must have knowledge of all important issues and major stakeholders
• Board members must be able to work together
• Significant proportion must be independent and not subordinate to CEO
Lead to Win
Build an effective Board
Select members who: • CEO views as peers • have the time • bring at least one competency
Ensure Board: • has knowledge of all important issues and major stakeholders • is able to work together as a team • has a significant proportion of independent members
Lead to Win
Define Board responsibilities around
• Development of detailed strategies that produce large amounts of pixie dust
• Development and evaluation of strategy implementations
• Development and evaluation of CEO and senior management team
• Management of crises
• Monitoring legal and ethical performance of executives and company
Lead to Win
Operate Board effectively • Define Board responsibilities • Bring Board members up to a minimum level of knowledge
concerning key issues they may face • Welcome constructive feedback • Have Board decide how it will work as a team in time of crisis • Have Board members interact with customers, employees and
suppliers • Provide information that is accurate and timely in a clear way • Provide information from multiple data sources • Provide scoreboards that measure company performance in the eyes of
different stakeholders • Define a process for employees to contact Board about illegal or
unethical practices • Review development plans and appraisals for key executives • Motivate Board members through recognition and money • Schedule enough time to examine facts and make decisions