Glosarium
Contents

Startups & Business

Global Markets

Company setup, funding norms and rules in the US, EU, China, Japan and South Korea.

Tech Entrepreneur

MVP

Ship the smallest thing someone will use or pay for, and set up the company properly.

  • Malaysia SSTSales and service tax basics for startups operating in Malaysia.
  • Singapore Corporate Tax and GSTCompany tax and GST basics for Singapore startups, before you ask an accountant.
  • 83(b) ElectionA US tax filing that founders with vesting shares must make within 30 days of the grant.

Product-Market Fit

Get users who stay, pay and tell others; raise your first real round.

Core: start here

1 more product-market fit concepts
  • Delaware FlipRestructuring so a US Delaware company owns the existing business, often for US investors or accelerators.

Growth

Make acquisition and revenue repeatable; hire, raise and build a board.

  • China PIPLChina's Personal Information Protection Law.
  • Cross-Border Digital TaxVAT or GST and withholding tax when you sell software to customers in other countries.
  • Entering the EU MarketSelling into the European Union: GDPR, VAT, languages and many separate markets.
  • Entering the US MarketSelling to US customers: entity, sales motion, pricing and the cost of competing there.
  • ICP LicenseThe license websites need to be hosted in mainland China.
  • J-KISSJapan's standard convertible equity instrument for seed funding, similar to a SAFE.
  • Japan KK vs GKJapan's two main company types: the kabushiki kaisha and the godo kaisha.
  • Korea PIPASouth Korea's Personal Information Protection Act.
  • Korea TIPS ProgramSouth Korea's government-backed program that matches private startup investment with R&D funding.
  • QSBSA US tax exclusion on gains from qualified small business stock.
  • Thailand BOI IncentivesInvestment incentives for tech companies setting up in Thailand.

Scale

Run the company: organization, moats, new markets and exits. Repeat-founder territory.