Often entrepreneurs look to outside financing to get their startup off the ground – an undertaking that isn't exactly a walk in the park. From cap tables to interest rates and desirable terms, entrepreneurs need to well informed before approaching investors -- and hoping to snag some outside capital.
Bo Yaghmaie is a partner in the Cooley business department. Image credit: Cooley
Fortunately, we are getting a little help from Bo Yaghmaie, a partner in the Cooley business department. In his role Yaghmaie helps startups and corporations alike navigate down the financial road, providing support in seed and venture financing, IPOs and M&A deals. Helping founders grow and scale their startups to become successful ventures doesn't stop at Cooley. Yahmaie is also actively involved in the entrepreneur community, serving as mentor as TechStars and ER Accelerator, along with being a member of the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board at Columbia University's Eugene Lange Entreprneeurship Center. Oh, and he also teaches aspiring entrepreneurs (and law students) at Cornell University on emerging markets and venture capital. To say Yahmaie is involved in the startup community is an understatement – he lives and breathes it. But he would have it no other way, as Yahmaie believes advisors can make or break a company.
Related: Who is the Right Investor for You? That Depends on Where You Are Now.
"Given the nature and volume of information out there, it is absolutely critical for an entrepreneur to be able to rely on a handful of domain experts that can help provide guidance in areas that may be unknown or opaque to the entrepreneur, he says."An entrepreneur is ultimately going to live and die by the strength of his or her team and support network."
For this month only, Yahmaie is answering your questions on real-world issues entrepreneurs face. Feel free to ask startup questions, including queries about corporate formation, fundraising and seed and venture financing terms.
Have a question for Entrepreneur's experts? Submit your questions in the comments section below or tweet us, using the hashtag #ENTexpert. One topic will be selected by the editors of Entrepreneur and addressed by Yahmaie in a weekly write up here.