http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/ Entrepreneur turned VC Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:25:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=1816 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1483 rafer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:41:44 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-1483 I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote. I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-12985 rafer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:41:44 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-12985 I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote. I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1482 msuster Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:35:30 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-1482 Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the "real" board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with "back door" investor board members stacked against them. Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the “real” board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with “back door” investor board members stacked against them.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-12984 msuster Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:35:30 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-12984 Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the "real" board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with "back door" investor board members stacked against them. Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the “real” board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with “back door” investor board members stacked against them.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1481 rafer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:41:44 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-1481 I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote. I think that's a california passive-aggressive thing. run the darn things like formal meetings and make the observers feel explicitly silly if they voice an actual vote.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1480 msuster Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:35:30 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-1480 Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the "real" board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with "back door" investor board members stacked against them. Yeah, for sure. But all too often boards never do that and frankly I think some boards over time sort of forget who the observers are and who the “real” board members are. I'm not that concerned with the crucial decisions but rather the garden variety decisions that boards make. The reason is that the entrepreneur wants to limit the number of investors on the board and sometimes doesn't realize that they end up with “back door” investor board members stacked against them.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-12983 rafer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:40 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-12983 It's generally within the rules to exclude observers from certain segments of board meetings. Pulling that trigger occasionally tends to keep the situation manageable. It's generally within the rules to exclude observers from certain segments of board meetings. Pulling that trigger occasionally tends to keep the situation manageable.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1479 rafer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:30:40 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-1479 It's generally within the rules to exclude observers from certain segments of board meetings. Pulling that trigger occasionally tends to keep the situation manageable. It's generally within the rules to exclude observers from certain segments of board meetings. Pulling that trigger occasionally tends to keep the situation manageable.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-12987 msuster Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:23:10 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-12987 I think it can be really productive to have the head of sales lead a pipeline review, the head of marketing talk about the initiatives and the CTO talk about tech issues. But in my experience this works best when they come in for point presentation and don't stay for the whole meeting. I think it can be really productive to have the head of sales lead a pipeline review, the head of marketing talk about the initiatives and the CTO talk about tech issues. But in my experience this works best when they come in for point presentation and don't stay for the whole meeting.

]]> http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/10/14/when-the-board-of-a-startup-votes-theres-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-12986 giffc Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:58:41 +0000 http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/?p=1058#comment-12986 Mark, I'm curious to hear your opinion on open board meetings, where either a broader number of the management team or even all employees are allowed to sit in and even chime in. Mark, I'm curious to hear your opinion on open board meetings, where either a broader number of the management team or even all employees are allowed to sit in and even chime in.

]]>