It is much wiser to incorporate your startup early and do it the right way, in order to avoid costly mistakes in the future. Incorporating is a daunting task for first-time founders and it is something founders often delay since its benefits are not immediately apparent. Creating a legal entity allows founders to lay the corporate foundations for the startup to thrive.

A common dilemma facing startups is that they hear investors invest in teams, but how are they supposed to build a team without venture funding? An apparent Catch-22. The venture industry's answer is to use stock options. Stock options allow you to put the team together and start working so that investors have a team to invest in.

Directors and advisors are a key part of your startup team and having the right people greatly increases your chances at success. A company is required to have a Board of Directors with defined responsibilities under corporate law, but startups have a special need to find directors who can help with venture capital funding, IPOs and M&As. Likewise, a startup needs specific advisors who can provide subject matter expertise, mentoring, and networking connections. Both groups are strategic members of a successful startup team providing the founder/entrepreneur with support, connections and key advice.

Founder and employment agreements are essential legal documents for startups serious about doing business. They outline the roles, rights, and responsibilities of the founders and people employed by the company. Setting up agreements is a very important step in startup creation to avoid conflicts among the founders and between founders and employees.

Tony Stanco worked on hundreds of IPOs while at the Security and Exchange Commission as a senior attorney in the Division of Corporation Finance, which is responsible for allowing companies to go public. In this course he will take you through the IPO form, Form S-1, explaining what information is required and why. This is an important course for any startup positioning itself to exit in an IPO.