I receive six to eight requests for help from startups each year—from angel investing, to advising, to consulting, to joining as a founder. To date, I’ve never accepted a single offer. Recently, however, I was very intrigued by one startup’s vision, so much so that I spent a significant amount of time exploring that opportunity. In the end, it did not work out. A few of the reasons why this opportunity did not pan out will be encapsulated in my below set of guidelines.

Below you will find what I call my 7-by-7 rules. Whereas this is my current set of criteria, I believe this list is useable by anyone seeking to attract talent or looking to start a smartup. Please feel free to adopt, modifying, or expand upon this list and use it as you see fit. Read more »