The document lists the top 10 reasons why startups fail and provides advice for avoiding common pitfalls. It warns against having a single founder, the wrong team composition, being too marketing or tech-focused without balance. Other risks include choosing the wrong legal support, attempting to do too much at once, not listening to customers, remaining in stealth mode too long, being slow to launch, refusing to change initial ideas, choosing the wrong location, and suffering from "founder-itis" where the founder believes they can do everything or makes poor financial decisions. The document recommends following your intuition, thoroughly vetting potential lawyers and investors, including customers in the product development process, and not taking investment funds without accountability.

1. Caroline Cummings Director of Entrepreneurial Development | Eugene Chamber of Commerce Start-up

2. Top 10 Reasons Why A Start-up Fails

3. The Single Founder 1

4. The Wrong Team 2

5. Marketing-Heavy Tech-Heavy 2

6. Wrong Legal Team! 3

7. Boiling the Ocean 4

8. Not Talking to Customers 5

9. Stealth to Long.. 6

10. Slow to Launch… 6

11. Stuck on Original Idea 7

12. Wrong Location! 8

13. Founder-itis! 9

14. Spending too much money 10

15. Lessons…

16. Go With Your Gut!!!

17. Ask potential business attorney… Emerging growth business before? How much time for you? Raised multiple rounds of financing? Create/Read a Capitalization Table ? Developed a PPM ? Compensation packages for new hires? IP protection? Global expansion ? Experience with exits – M&As, IPO, quit? Talk to current/former client ?

18. Date BEFORE Marriage!

19. Key Team Must Have Skin in the Game!

20. Don’t Take “Dumb Money”

21. Include Customers in your R&D Ask Listen Do Thank Include