Random Thoughts from the M&A Side

It's been a busy fall, so blogging has been a little light. More on Selling the Startup in a few hours. In the mean time, here are assorted tips that I'd like to pass on as fall deal season heads into the home stretch:

1. Board Meetings: Always make sure your company charter and by-laws permit board meetings to be held by telephone. There may be times that you can't be there in person, no matter how urgent the meeting. For example, your children could have brought home lice from school. Maybe you need to cast your vote while being de-loused. Who can say for sure?

2. Executive Compensation: I understand that today's high-tech founders are very happening, active dudes, who enjoy sailboarding in shark-infested waters after a hard day of coding. Very impressive. But the rest of the world does not employ sail-boarder lingo. In the board room, the term "package" is generally used to discuss compensation. Or severance. Similarly, when your directors refer to "management team packages", they are not discussing anatomical attributes. You can all stop twittering.

More soon.