Early Stage Tech Boards

Board governance for early stage technology companies

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  • 1.0 Introduction
    • 1.1 Table of Contents
    • 1.2 Links
    • 1.3 Preamble
  • 2. Board Manual
    • 2.0 Board Terms of Reference
    • 2.1 Director Terms of Reference
    • 2.2 Chair Terms of Reference
    • 2.3 Audit Committee Terms of Reference
    • 2.4 Compensation Committee Terms of Reference
  • 3. Best Practices
    • 3.0 Board Composition
    • 3.1 Time Commitment
    • 3.2 Director Compensation
    • 3.3 Director Investment
    • 3.4 Board and Management Responsibilities
    • 3.5 Splitting the Roles of Chairman and CEO
    • 3.6 Relationship Between Chairman and CEO
      • 3.6.1 What the CEO should Expect from the Board
      • 3.6.2 What the Board Should Expect from the CEO
    • 3.7 CEO Review Process
    • 3.8 CEO Succession
    • 3.9 Founder’s Syndrome
    • 3.10 Authorization Levels
    • 3.11 Risk Assessment
    • 3.12 Strategic Planning
    • 3.13 Whistle Blowing
    • 3.14 Advisory Committees
    • 3.15 Holding Management to Account
    • 3.16 Board Review
      • 3.16.1 Directors Matrix
    • 3.17 Governance Practices by Stage of Growth for Early Stage Technology Companies
      • 3.17.1 Summary Chart of Governance Practices by Stage of Growth
  • 4. Board Meetings
    • 4.0 Organizing a Board Meeting
    • 4.1 Sample Board Agenda
    • 4.2 Who Should Attend Board Meetings
    • 4.3 Meetings of Independent Directors
    • 4.4 Frequency of Board Meetings
    • 4.5 Physical Presence or Teleconference
    • 4.6 Philosophy of Board Meeting Minutes
      • 4.6.1 Sample Board Meetings Minutes
    • 4.7 Sample CEO Report to the Board
    • 4.8 Sample CFO Report to the Board
    • 4.9 Sample General Report to the Board
    • 4.10 Written Resolutions
    • 4.11 Review of Resolutions by Legal Counsel
    • 4.12 Role of the Corporate Secretary
  • 5. Complete Versions of Manual
  • 6. Articles Written by David Rowat
    • 6.1 Boards are Even More Important for Start-ups
    • 6.2 What Should Boards of Early Tech Companies Do ?
    • 6.3 Directors Need to be on Common Ground
    • 6.4 Managing Fiduciary Duty – Charting the Course
    • 6.5 Steering the Ship of Fiduciary Duty in a Sea of Conflict
    • 6.6 When Does Management Cross the Line?
    • 6.7 Should I Stay or Should I Go?
    • 6.8 Less Minutes Equals Less Mischief
    • 6.9 You have my time – now you want my money too?
    • 6.10 The Loneliness of the Corporate Secretary
    • 6.11 Judges or Mentors – Directors Must Lead
    • 6.12 Duty of the CFO – to the CEO or Board?
    • 6.13 Governance Practices by Stage of Growth for Early Stage Technology Companies
    • 6.14 Governance Practices at the Start-up and Development Stages of Growth
    • 6.15 Governance Practices at the Rapid Growth Stage
    • 6.16 How to Manouver a Successful Board Meeting
    • 6.17 Role of Boards in Tech M&A
  • 7. Articles Written by Others
    • 7.1 Directors Who Don’t Deliver
    • 7.2 Conflicts in Directors Making Direct Loans to Companies
    • 7.3 8 Tips for Effective Boards
    • 7.4 Running More Effective Board Meetings at Startup
    • 7.5 How To Communicate with your Investors between Board Meetings
    • 7.6 The 4 Types of Advisers Every Startup Needs
    • 7.7 The Board’s Role in Facilitating and Supporting a Fundraising Process
Early Stage Tech Boards

5. Complete Versions of Manual

This section allows you to download complete versions of the Board Governance manual in .docx or .pdf format for chapters 1 – 6, but not 7.

.docx version:  Earlystagetechboards.com-Complete-Manual-Feb-2021

.pdf version: Earlystagetechboards.com Complete Manual Feb 2021

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