I've gone down similar paths in the past. Here are your options: 1) Provisional Patent. if an implementation of their system to his new market would be patentable (i.e. using machine X to make donuts instead of jewelry), then you could file a provisional patent on the idea. Provisional patents are very informal and cheap. They can essentially be written on the back of a napkin, and filed for ~$100. They last for only a year, after which you have to convert them into a 'real patent', otherwise your idea will become open to the public to use. 2) An NDA. You could have them sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which would have wording in it that basically says, "I'm going to tell you something, and unless you have existing proof that you already had thought of that idea, then you're not allowed to use my idea without my consent". Sometimes the company will not want to sign an NDA because they may have discussed a lot of ideas without writing them down, and by signing your NDA, they'd legally lose the right to use one of those non-written-down ideas. But it's worth a shot. 3) Rely on trust. The way to make this more likely to work is if you are good friends with a big investor in their company, or something like that. Some situation in which, if they steal your idea, they'd be ruining their reputation with someone they care about (they probably don't care about pissing you yourself off). If you don't have such a connection, maybe you can form one (linkedin, etc.). If you'd like to discuss your options in more detail, incorporating actual experiences of mine, let me know, all the best, Lee

First, you need to talk to an accountant to work out those details so everything is handled legally and correctly. The answer depends a great deal on what kind of company you have set up. If you're an LLC then the profits get distributed to the owners based upon the percentage they own. The revenue first goes to the business to pay bills. Whatever is left over is considered profit. 15% of that profit would go to the investor and the rest would go to whoever owns the other 85%. Of course you can both choose to reinvest the money back into the business. For tax purposes that money would be considered profit to you personally, but the money stays in the business to help fuel growth.

Whenever shares (or options) are issued, the language is normally "fully-diluted shares"... and what that means is that you *authorize* the number of shares necessary for all potential [foreseeable] options to vest. You'll need to stop talking "%" and start talking in actual share numbers. Let's say the company has 1,000,000 shares, divided half between two founders. Then let's say a decision is made to "sell" or "trade away" 20% of the company. To do that, the founders don't lose shares — you create new ones. So the original million becomes 80%, which means you'll need to authorize 250,000 new shares. You can then sell 25,000 to the CFO for cash, let them earn up to 25,000 more, and distribute the other 8% to new hires over the coming months. If you do this 2% transaction all by itself, the math will be more annoying the next time you want to hire someone and grant stock options or whatever. In all cases, if you authorize shares, or issue options, and then they fail to vest (i.e. the CFO changes his mind and fails to earn the 1%), those authorized shares simply don't get issued to him, and that benefits all other shareholders proportionally. Does that make sense? It's only "8th grade algebra", but it can be rather confusing... even many founders, lawyers, and investors I know are still prone to getting tripped up here. Feel free to contact me directly for additional help if you like.

Hey there, I trust that your CRM is robust enough to trigger some workflows and automated steps. I would recommend you have an automated series of reminders to both your customer AND their respective relationship manager that fire as the client approaches their end of contract. To your internal staff, getting notified that a customer is opening/clicking on resources included in their reminder emails would be recommended, or if a client has NOT taken any action, to notify more than one member of your staff to ensure that these folks are not falling between the cracks. Additionally, monitoring and being notified of actions of the client, such as visiting your FAQ page or pricing page on your website provides helpful context for your sales team when reaching out. Again, I think it is just as important to nurture the client as they approach this date, they should really be able to see the value of working with you and make the decision to continue their partnership with you regardless of the contract. I'd love to help you more with this, let's set up a call if you have specific questions. All the best, -Shaun

Like any other industry, these surgeons (and their staff) attend regular training. Many of them are coordinated through a regional training organization; contact them and offer to host a free training course on how bariatric surgeons and grow their practice through online marketing. I'd be happy to offer more thoughts and suggestions, let's set up a call. All the best, -Shaun

Are you looking to blast an entire email list of, let's say, tech writers with a pitch? Or are you looking to get on a particular website like GeekWire or TechCrunch? Look up associations related to your targeted niche, you'll find all sorts of writers who are interested. Your question is rather vague, and -- if not handled correctly -- can lead to a real bad experience for the journalist, and, in turn, your chances of getting any coverage. I'd be happy to talk with your more about approaching these people strategically for the best possible results. All the best, -Shaun

I don't have a lot of experience directly with journalists, but in my experience not really. If one of them was interested but couldn't do it in the first place they would send the piece around the office to see if anyone else wanted it. At least that's how it's worked with talent agents and entertainers, and they're very similar process'

Not necessarily. You have to weigh your available time and money. If you have more time, identify key influencers and build a relationship with them. If you have more money, then hire a PR firm who will do this in a way, but will really rent a lot of attention in the industry. Once you stop paying, their work will also stop and you will see an ever-increasing decline in the effectiveness that you once had. Whereas, with a solid relationship with an influencer, your effectiveness increases. I'm happy to discuss more, if you'd like to book a call. All the best, -Shaun

Hi there, I have several connections within multiple publications around the world (North America / Europe). I believe that if we have a chat about your concept, I will be able to guide you to the right people. Let me know if I can be of service to you!

I do what's called a simple "reverse journalist lookup". Step 1: Identify your "sister company". This is what I call a company that is very similar to you but not a direct competitor. Make sure you are different from your sister company. For example You may offer an on-demand snowplowing service (Uber for snow removal), your sister company would be Uber. Make sure your sister company is fairly well known and written about in the media. Step 2: Go to Google News. Since Google News focused on just news it will only show you results from news outlets. Search for "Uber" (your sister company) Step 3: All the results you see are journalists who understand your industry because they have written about Uber. Presumably they understand the "on-demand economy" too. No need to explain to them what you do. Step 4: Using Google Sheets simply research each relevant journalist (name, publication, relevant link to the article you used to find them, email and twitter handle). Try to build a nice targeted list of 20-50 contacts. Takes time but worth it. Try using different terms in Google news, several indirect competitors, etc. There are several tools, hacks, and services out there that will help you build targeted email lists. I can teach you how to do it yourself for free. Also your pitch is really important. Happy to chat/help.

Hello, Congrats on launching your venture. First things first, what is your website about, and why should those different bloggers and journalists care? If you can answer this question (your elevator pitch), then you'll be off to a good start. Secondly, you'll need to determine to whom you want to speak with and develop genuine relationships. Find out what the bloggers and journalists write about, what they like in life, what platforms they use, and more. Then start a genuine conversation so that you build up a rapport that way when you do email them to talk about your website, they'll be more receptive. From here you will learn more about the type of content they produce and if your product will be an organic fit for their readers. (Their contact information will also be somewhere online, and you'll also get a better sense of how you should write your pitch email.) Start with a small list of bloggers and journalists and then build up over time. Thirdly -- what makes your website "newsworthy"? You can suggest this angle, but as you know, they're by no means obligated to covering your brand because it just launched. So again, make sure you understand WHY they should care -- and be able to articulate this reason concisely. Furthermore, cold-calling is a no-no. Think about in your personal life. Most of us won't respond to emails or calls from people we don't know. And if there's attachments involved -- no way, we're downloading anything -- it could be SPAM or a virus. Journalists and bloggers are very busy, and they are often working through hundreds of "requests for coverage" that come seemingly out of nowhere. Make their lives easier. Make your brand make sense for them. Make your message (and visuals) heartfelt. But most of all, be genuine. Since it's your website, I'm assuming you're passionate about the topic -- convey this through your messaging! Hope this was helpful to you. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have here.

Couldn't you use both the Facebook and Game Center APIs and combine the results? You could either combine the results behind the scenes into one leaderboard with subsections, or have two separate leaderboards displayed, one with Facebook friends, and one with global. To keep people coming back to your game, there are many other easy things you can add in addition to leaderboards. If you want to discuss those options send me a message. Glad to help, Lee

Having an online portfolio is important but even more important is that you have reviews. You can put them directly on your portfolio site and they will act as 'social proof' enabling you to convert more jobs. Since you say that you've worked with computer graphic for years I assume you've done some work for clients. I bet in your e-mail you have these reviews just sitting there hiding from past clients or even associates or friends who have complimented your work. Publish them out there for prospect to see. My portfolio is pretty weak relatively I think but more than anything when I link people to my reviews on codeable or my linkedin profile they instantly trust me and pull out their wallet :) Outside of that another tip would be to specialize. There are lots of Graphic Artists out there you need to specialize and differentiate yourself. There are many really talents Graphic Artists out there who are successful without having a degree so don't let that hold you back. Hope that helps. Cheers - Raleigh

Team is more important than the startup itself. Investors prefer invest in the Jockey over the Horse. There may be n number of reasons for not getting through the funding rounds. If your startup is able to provide 10x return I can invest straight away. However, I will look at the team first and foremost and then I will look at the management skills and then I will come to other metrics like traction and scalability.

From a web presence / marketing perspective, it'll take you a while to be a true competitor. That's not to say that you can't make some strong headway, just don't think that you'll get top search engine rankings for the most highly competitive phrases within the first year or two. However, with the right online marketing campaign and a strong budget you can make a lot of good headway. You can outsmart your competition and make progress in areas that they are not focused to work your way into becoming a player.

No-Skill-Guitar: Get a [guitar (Jasmine S35 Acoustic Guitar)] + [chord buddy (chordbuddy.com)] + [electronic tuner (Intelli IMT500)]. Any time you hear a good song, look up the chords for free on ultimate-guitar.com, save the page as a .pdf, and you'll be able to play the song right away on the guitar with the chordbuddy, even if you don't know how to play the guitar. You'll bond over sing alongs, and you'll be learning how to play the guitar at the same time with the help of the chordbuddy. Hacky sack Local Multiplayer Games (everyone plays on the same computer): Get a couple wireless controllers (Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows), and download these local multiplayer games from Steam: 1) Speed Runners (http://store.steampowered.com/app/207140/) 2) Starwhal (http://store.steampowered.com/app/263020/) 3) Duck Game (http://store.steampowered.com/app/312530/) 4) Nidhogg (http://store.steampowered.com/app/94400/) Naptime: Get an ENO hammock for people to nap in. It's healthier and easier to sleep in than a real bed, and can be stowed away. They'll be able to work later. Have fun

There are two steps. First, plot the addresses of the stores that carry your product (https://www.mapcustomizer.com/) Second, find optometrists near there (Yelp, Google, LinkedIn Advanced Search) In all honesty, it probably took you longer to write the question than it would to find what you're looking for. :) I'm happy to help more, book a call and we can get your rocking. All the best, -Shaun

It does violate the TOS for most social sites and PPC advertisers. Additionally, you're not doing your end customers any favors because you are selling them access to crap contacts who are not necessarily interested in their product. Don't do it. Build your own targeted list of 1000 legitimately. -Shaun

Hey there! This doesn't seem to meet the definition of a partnership, especially if all of the funding is coming from you. You certainly want to demonstrate that you value his expertise and contributions but it really sounds like you are bringing your first employee (if you are based in the U.S. learn more about how the IRS designated independent contractors from employees here http://bit.ly/IRScontractorvsemployee). Without having many other details, my suggestion is that you connect with your local economic development council or workforce council to prepare yourself for becoming an employer. Your discussions will change from percentage to salary. You might also consider developing an operating agreement for commission-based compensation on any sales that he brings in. I really hope this helps!

Hi there, I understand what you are looking for and I believe I have the right connections to assist you. I however, would like to talk to you in private about this. I have many connections around the globe in VC Firms that always look to acquire new assets such as yours. Please message me on here with some details so I can assist you! Kind Regards, Giuliano

First thing you should do is talk to a patent lawyer. Specially your employers lawyer. There is something called "trade secrets" that are consider all the knowledge that you are getting and applying. This secrets could be used by the company to sue you later on. Be very careful before you start. Get consent (written) from them with everything you will be using for your project. **Im not a lawyer and this is not legal advise. But you should definitely try to get some specially if the success is based on IP & patents

I have provided digital marketing and e-commerce advice to clients here in the US as well as Dubai and South Asia. My understanding of your challenge is creating a social network that would rival LinkedIN on a more local level. The solution to a successful network is always an engaged user base, and the path to such a base is solving a problem. What particular needs do you think prevailing networks are not meeting? If you'd like to get on a call, I'll help you set up some information gathering mechanisms, then we can talk about team formation strategies and user base growth. Look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Arjun.

Really depends on how many rounds of funding you think you'll need. Most startup founders have their equity diluted anywhere from 15%-33% after 2-3 rounds of funding. If he is a key partner, then 25% is fair and a better deal for you. VCs hate preferred shares being issued because it just complicates the math and flexibility in the future.

I've been helping companies market to Spanish speakers for over 5 years. As with most questions that stretch across borders and cultures, the answer is, "it depends". Here are some of the factors at play: 1) US Hispanics are over 80% of Mexican descent, meaning that as a general practice, your marketing can be similar 2) But their situations are very different. In the US (according to census data), Hispanics trend lower income. But for products that have a US price point, you are going to have to appeal to wealthier Mexicans (for example). 3) Depending on your product/service, you may have to adapt pricing/messaging to fit cultural norms, or what people can afford. 4) Other issues: if you are a content company that sells advertising, you may want to EXCLUDE people from LATAM, as many advertisers are only trying to sell in the US. Obviously to give good advice I would need more context. Feel free to set up a call with me (I donate all proceeds to charity), and I'll be glad to talk through this with you.

Unless you need to be incorporated to complete trial sales, market fit testing...don't do it. Wait until you can afford the couple thousand dollars it will cost you and or until you get an investor if you will go for one. a C corporation is most likely your best bet. Fairly is all on perspective. The original ideator shouldn't leverage that fact to get more. Equity should be based on time involved, possibility of the individual leaving, value added in the long term picture... once you get employees how critical will this position be? how critical is that value now? Whatever way you split, leave about 10-30% open for future partners or investors or negotiations of any kind.