Seraf Investor Compass

Investors supporting startups in difficult economic times are frequently called on to give advice to CEOs trying to cope. Financial issues like the cash-out date and how to raise money are always central questions, but reducing financial burn for a pre- or...

Having evaluated four common methods for valuing early stage companies in a previous article, it's time to take a closer look at the Seraf Method which builds on everything great that has come before it (with the debt of gratitude acknowledged!), but adds key...

In addition to articles and eBooks, the Seraf Compass makes various tools and checklists available for anyone to use. An area of diligence we talk a lot about is assessing the market and verifying customer demand. To help guide our investors through that process we...

In our previous article on recruiting new board directors, we discuss the importance of adding key skills to your board. Most early stage companies have a 3 or 5 member board. It’s not unusual for one or two of these board seats to remain unfilled after a company...

Why do web and software businesses seem to get investment traction while real, down-to-earth business and manufacturing-intensive companies flounder to raise capital? It has to do with the type of investor model involved. The investor model has to match the type of...

Have you ever been disappointed by someone or by some product that you purchased?  Nine times out of ten it’s due to not having the right expectations for one reason or another. Investments are no different from other purchases. If you are not clear on what you are...

In a previous post, we discuss ways in which a board can help make a CEO successful. One of the best ways to facilitate the CEO’s future growth and success is by providing her with an annual review detailing how she is doing in the job. It is the responsibility of the...

The first time I served as a deal lead was unintentional. I happened upon a team I really liked, going after a market I thought was really attractive, with a solution I thought was really smart. So I started telling other investors about it. Many perked up and took an...

The shift from building a company to becoming an investor is an experience I’ve realized can’t all be learned from a playbook. It’s a massive shift I didn’t fully appreciate until I experienced it firsthand. As a founder, I was used to a fast-paced, high-reward...

There is a lot of confusion amongst new entrepreneurs on the subject of advisory boards versus corporate boards of directors. Some of that confusion is justified because there is some conceptual overlap. But they are very different animals.