Founders

The Howey Test for Founders: When Your Token Is a Security

Most founders launching tokens don't have a clear framework for whether they're issuing a security. The Howey test has four prongs, and the SEC has applied each of them to token issuers in ways that would surprise most founders who think 'utility' is the safe word.

Founders

Founder IP Assignment: Why You Can't Raise Without It and How to Get It Done

Investors find missing IP assignments at Series A more often than any other diligence issue. Here's what needs to be in place — and what your options are if formation was sloppy.

Founders

Texas Non-Competes: What Employers Can Enforce After Recent Case Law

Texas non-competes are not unenforceable — but they are far more complicated than a form clause. This guide breaks down what the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act actually requires, what recent case law says about reasonable restrictions, and how to draft agreements that hold up.

Founders

Starting a Business in Texas: Entity Types, Franchise Tax, and Structural Decisions

Texas-based founders who aren't on a VC fundraising path can save time and money by forming here. This guide covers entity types, the franchise tax's $2.65M threshold, operating agreement requirements, and annual compliance obligations.

Founders

Amazon Seller Agreement Red Flags: What You're Actually Agreeing To

Amazon's Business Solutions Agreement has real teeth: 90-day payment holds, perpetual IP licenses, de facto price parity enforcement, and immediate suspension with no appeal outside Amazon. Here's what's buried in the terms you already agreed to.

Founders

FTC Endorsement Rules for Product Sellers: Reviews, Affiliates, and Influencer Campaigns

Most DTC brands know they need disclosures. Fewer know that review gating is a federal violation, that #ad in a bio isn't enough, and that the FTC has levied multi-million-dollar penalties against fashion and beauty brands for exactly these mistakes.

Founders

The State Privacy Law Patchwork in 2026: Which Laws Apply to Your App and What They Require

Twenty states now have active privacy laws. This guide maps which ones apply to your app based on your user base, explains the California/Texas/other enforcement tiers, and covers the five elements every privacy notice must include.

Founders

Employee vs. Independent Contractor in 2026: The Tests Every Startup Must Pass Before Classification

The DOL's 2024 rule reinstated a multi-factor economic reality test that puts most startup contractor arrangements under real scrutiny. Here's what the tests actually require and where the misclassification risk is highest.

Founders

At-Will Employment in Texas: The Doctrine, the Exceptions, and the Termination Mistakes That Create Exposure

Texas founders rely on at-will more than the law justifies. This guide covers the five state-law exceptions, federal overlays like the NLRA and FMLA, what employment agreements do to at-will status, and the documentation that limits termination exposure.

Founders

Non-Compete Agreements After the FTC Rule Litigation: What Texas Startups Can Enforce

The FTC’s sweeping non-compete ban is on hold after a Texas federal court enjoined it. While the legal battle continues, Texas has its own enforceable framework—and most startup non-competes still fail it. Here’s what the law actually requires.

Founders

DAO Liability: Are Members Personally Exposed? Lessons from the CFTC's Ooki DAO Enforcement

The CFTC's 2023 judgment against Ooki DAO established that decentralized structures don't prevent regulatory enforcement—and three courts have since confirmed that governance token holders face unlimited personal liability as general partners. Here's what that means for your protocol.

Founders

CCPA and CPRA for Consumer App Founders: What Applying to California Users Requires

Most founders assume CCPA only applies to enterprise companies. It doesn't — a consumer app with 100,000 California users is covered regardless of revenue. Here's what the thresholds, six consumer rights, and 2025 CPPA enforcement actions mean for your product.

Founders

The 83(b) Election: What It Is, How to File It, and Why Missing the 30-Day Deadline Is Permanent

If you received restricted stock at your company's formation and didn't file an 83(b) election within 30 days, the tax savings are gone forever. Here's what the election does, the math, and how to file it correctly.

Founders

Product Liability for DTC Brands: When You're the Importer, You're the Manufacturer

Most DTC founders assume their factory contract and supplier insurance protect them. They don't. US law treats importers as the manufacturer when the foreign supplier is unreachable — strict liability, CPSC reporting duties, and recall costs all land on the brand.

Founders

SAFE vs. Convertible Note: What Pre-Seed Founders Need to Understand Before They Sign

Everyone tells pre-seed founders to use a SAFE. Here’s what SAFE mechanics, convertible note interest, and the post-money revision actually mean — and when the answer isn’t a SAFE.

Founders

Subscription Billing Compliance: ROSCA, the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule, and What DTC Brands Must Do Now

The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel rule was vacated by the Eighth Circuit in July 2025 — but ROSCA, Section 5, and state automatic-renewal laws remain fully operative. This guide covers what DTC brands and subscription operators need to know, from California's AB 2863 to the $100M Vonage settlement.

Founders

Employee Handbook Essentials for Startups: The 8 Policies You Need Before Your Fifth Hire

Most startups skip the handbook until they get a demand letter. Then they download a template that creates new problems. Here are the 8 policies every startup needs before employee #5 — and the 2 things most templates get dangerously wrong.

In-House Counsel

The EU AI Act's Big Deadline Just Moved to 2027 — What US Founders and In-House Counsel Should Actually Do Now

The EU AI Act's high-risk deadline slipped from August 2026 to December 2027 under the Digital Omnibus. But several obligations did NOT move, and US companies are squarely in scope. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what to do with the runway.

Founders

Texas's AI Law Is Now in Force: What TRAIGA Actually Requires of Founders and In-House Counsel

Texas's Responsible AI Governance Act (HB 149) has been in force since January 1, 2026 — and it is far narrower than the bill it grew from. Here is who TRAIGA reaches, what its intent-based prohibitions mean, how the Texas AG enforces it, and the NIST safe harbor to build toward.

Founders

Three AI Governance Quick Wins: The Use-Case Registry, Risk Tiering, and Policy Intake

Thirty-nine percent of companies still have no formal AI risk process. Here are three concrete steps — a use-case registry, a risk tiering model, and a policy intake gate — that any startup can implement in a month.

Founders

Earnouts, Bad Faith, and a Chatbot: What Fortis Advisors v. Krafton Means for Founders Who Sell

A Delaware court ordered Krafton to reinstate the ousted Subnautica 2 CEO after its own chief executive used ChatGPT to engineer a 'takeover' and dodge a $250M earnout. Here is what founders who sell their companies should take from the ruling.

Game Studios

Indie Studio Formation and IP: Structuring Your Game Company from Day One

Most indie studios ship their first game before signing a single IP assignment agreement — and discover the problem during publisher due diligence. Here's the legal checklist: entity choice, IP assignment, trademarks, contractor agreements, and exit readiness.

Startup Central

Legal Planning for First-Time Founders in Their 30s and 40s

If you're starting your first company in your 30s or 40s, you're often bringing real career leverage"10+ years of skills, network, and credibility"1and…

Startup Central

Broad-Based Weighted Average (BBWA) Anti-Dilution for Startups: Formula, Examples, and Legal Checklist

Broad-based weighted average (BBWA) anti-dilution is a common compromise term in venture financings: it protects preferred stock investors if the…

Startup Central

Cap Table Essentials: What Every Startup Needs to Track for Clean Equity Records

A clean cap table is more than a spreadsheet that “adds up.” It’s the single source of truth tying your company’s ownership to the documents that…