Type of shares are generally split into two: common/ordinary (depending on the jurisdiction) and preferred. The former are granted to founders and employees (most commonly as options with a right to purchase common/ordinary shares). The latter are generally issued to investors and include special...
To answer this question, I would need to know a lot more (how many other founders, employees, background of the CTO, etc.). A great resource for thinking through founder equity is this post by Joel Spolsky. http://answers.onstartups.com/questions/6949/forming-a-new-software-startup-how-do-i-a...
The best way is to offer early adopters a discounted rate and lock it in for life. Make it a no-brainer for them with the understanding that they are your beta group and that you will ping them from time-to-time for feedback on concept improvement.
There are a lot of tools designed to help "sketch" business ideas and business models. You need to be able to define and refine your ideas with a pencil and paper at the best. Other tools like Business Model Generation are great at sketching and documenting business model assumptions. I'm a huge ...
If you're looking for another crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo has the second best platform and user base, after Kickstarter.
I have found that the best way to create demand for a product that does not yet exist, is to capture the interest of people who experience a common pain that *does* exist. Focus less on selling the non-existent product, and focus more on clearly articulating the problem your product will solve. ...
I have had very little success allowing subcontractors to talk directly to clients. As much as it's annoying to play telephone, typically the subcontractor has less skin in the game, less communication skills, etc., and it reflects poorly on you.
I think you might find more luck with a question like, "How do I sell a dream?" or "Want to know how I can make you rich?" I am going to assume you are looking for funding, because you are trying to capitalize an idea, and that you'd rather convert someone else's money into energy and accelerati...
Like any sale, it's all about building a funnel and identifying qualified buyers. The best way to do this is to ask, who do we share a similar customer with that would like to sell what they do to our users, or that our product helps improve their product. Companies get bought when there's over...
You can read about Zaarly, which was a 2-sided reverse Craigslist, and their struggles with pricing and the ultimate impact it had on their decision to change to a storefront only tool. * http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/09/zaarly-shutters-its-reverse-craigslist-marketplace-goes-all-in-on-virtual-...