Brightwork Open House
Today, Brightwork CoResearch held an open house at their new facility. Unfortunately, it is not quite ready, but Jacob Schiach, founder and lead researcher, showed us around and explained his vision for the space.
Inaugural Office Hours
Just finished my first office hours session at Platform. Not many showed up, but I would call it a success over all. Check the calendar or the LawHeroes Meetup Page to find out when the next one is.
Crafting a Texas Non-Compete
“I don’t want any of my employees to go work for my competitors.” -Slightly Overzealous Entrepreneur Keeping employees from jumping ship to a lead competitor is a massive headache for many companies. The solution seems simple, a non-compete contract either signed separately or as part of the employment contract that simply restricts him or her…
Trading Equity for Services
“Can we pay you in equity?” -Anonymous Startup Founder It’s a common question I get from potential startups/founders when I attend events at Startup Houston, Houston Technology Center or Platform Houston. The answer, as usual, is it depends. For a new startup with lots of energy and minimal funds, trading equity for necessary financial and…
The 21st Century belongs to the USA
In my discussions with others, either with my peers or those older than I, I often hear the tired refrain that the American century is over. Soon, we will fall, dominated by the Chinese and the coming wave of the developing world. Our students are lazy, our economy is languishing, our infrastructure is deteriorating, and…
Legal Zoom, Rocket Lawyer, et al.
People often ask me if services such as Legal Zoom, Rocket Lawyer and NOLO are a good alternative to hiring a lawyer. If you are starting or running a business, pre-made legal documents can seem like the perfect way to achieve legal protection while also saving money. On the one hand, a penny saved is…
Intellectual Property: Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks and Trade-secrets, Oh my!
At some point, most businesses will need to develop a strategy to protect their intellectual property. . A company’s IP strategy ultimately depends on what they want to protect and what they are doing/planning to do with it. Let’s take a look at each of the 4 types of IP:
Forming an LLC in Texas
A few weeks ago at the Houston Open Coffee Club, I was asked if a small business owner can self-start their own LLC. The answer, of course, is yes. One of the many things I love about the USA is the ease with which one can start a business. The first place I would start when…
Houston Cleanweb Texas @Stag’s Head
I had a great time last night at the Stag’s Head meeting for the first time with Cleanweb Texas. Great people, great ideas, big impact on the world. As explained to me by Blake Burris, the goal of Cleanweb is to use software to fix real world resource problems. Through smart programming, we can create…
Rice Alliance IT and Web Venture Tech Forum—Top Three Presenters
Tiny customized wedding toppers, raising money for charity by eating out with your friends, smart lights that turn on and off as you walk around the house, these were just some of the ideas on display at the 10th Annual Rice Alliance IT and Web Venture Tech Forum. Keep reading for my favorite 3.