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When Your Startup Crashes Like a Golf 1 with No Brakes: Legal Cleanup 101
So your tech startup has crashed. Not in the dramatic, Twitter-is-down kind of way. More like a Golf 1 that took a sharp bend too fast...
The StartUp Legal Intern
6 hours ago3 min read
3
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The legal risks of ‘creative’ marketing tactics: Where to draw the line between clever and unlawful
Marketing is about grabbing attention and making your brand stick in people’s minds. In a noisy world, that often means pushing...
The StartUp Legal
2 days ago3 min read
2
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Splitting the pie without the drama: A plain guide to revenue sharing agreements
Revenue sharing sounds simple on paper. You do the work together, and then split the earnings. But in reality, it gets messy quickly if...
The StartUp Legal Intern
4 days ago2 min read
3
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From Prototype to Product: Legal Steps to Protect Your Tech
If you’re building a tech product in South Africa, especially as a startup or SME, the early stages can be thrilling but risky. You’ve...
The StartUp Legal
Jun 143 min read
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The Cost of Not Protecting Your Brand: Real-World Lessons for Entrepreneurs
In a competitive market where brand recognition can be the difference between thriving and folding, many small businesses overlook a...
The StartUp Legal Intern
Jun 123 min read
3
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Don’t Rush Into Accepting Terms on a Funder’s Template: You Can and Should Negotiate
Getting funding for your business can feel like a breakthrough moment, especially if it’s been a long road of pitching, rejection, and...
The StartUp Legal Intern
Jun 102 min read
4
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Who Owns the Code? A guide to managing IP ownership when working with developers, freelancers, or using open source components
In the world of startups and small businesses, especially in tech, there's often an assumption that if you pay someone to build your app...
The StartUp Legal Intern
Jun 72 min read
8
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How to Sell Your Business Without Legal Regrets
Selling your business can be exciting, but it’s also a legal minefield if you’re not careful. Whether you’ve built it from scratch or...
The StartUp Legal
Jun 53 min read
2
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Should You Set Up a Holding Company? Here’s What It Could Do for Your Business
Do you really need a holding company? It’s a question that tends to pop up once your business starts gaining traction or when investors...
The StartUp Legal
Jun 33 min read
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South African SMEs in the Age of AI Geopolitics: Why Sitting on the Sidelines Is No Longer an Option
We are living through a new kind of geopolitics—one that is no longer just about trade routes and natural resources but about chips,...
The StartUp Legal Intern
May 243 min read
5
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The Hidden Cost of Skipping the Basics: Legal Mistakes That Hold South African Startups Back
Starting a business in South Africa is exciting. You’ve got an idea, a name, maybe even a logo. But the legal stuff? That tends to get...
The StartUp Legal
May 223 min read
4
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Smart Payment Systems for SMEs: How to Protect Your Business from Fraud and Stay Organized
For South African SMEs, having a solid payment process is essential for ensuring smooth operations and financial control. Without clear...
The StartUp Legal
May 203 min read
4
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Breaking In and Building Up: What Foreign Tech Platforms Need to Know About South Africa
Foreign tech platforms looking to enter South Africa will find a market full of opportunity; fast-growing, digitally connected and open...
The StartUp Legal Intern
May 172 min read
6
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Why Every Collaboration Needs a Clear Agreement — Even in the Early Days
When entrepreneurs decide to collaborate, energy and excitement often take centre stage. Ideas are flowing, possibilities are being...
The StartUp Legal
May 152 min read
4
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Sweat Equity in South African SMEs: Building a Business When Cash is Tight
When people start or grow a small business in South Africa, it is common to face the reality that not everyone involved has the money to...
The StartUp Legal Intern
May 132 min read
9
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Solving Disputes the Smarter Way: How ADR Can Help South African Entrepreneurs Stay Focused on Business
Running a business in South Africa comes with plenty of ups and downs. Whether you are building a startup in Cape Town or growing a...
The StartUp Legal
May 82 min read
4
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Juggling a Side Hustle and a Full-Time Job Without Losing Your IP
Having a side hustle while working full time is more common than ever. Whether you are freelancing, building an app, or developing a...
The StartUp Legal
May 62 min read
4
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Code, Consequences, and Accountability: Rethinking Legal Liability for Software Engineers
When code starts to shape the way people live, move, work, and even get judged, it is not far fetched to ask whether the people writing...
The StartUp Legal
May 32 min read
4
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Why Scope Creep Can Quietly Wreck Your Project (and How to Keep It in Check)
If you’ve ever taken on a project thinking it would be straightforward, only to find yourself months later doing way more than what you...
The StartUp Legal Intern
May 12 min read
2
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Data Minimalism: Why Less is More
Every time we sign up for a new app or visit a website we are asked for a long list of personal details. Sometimes it makes sense but...
The StartUp Legal
Apr 292 min read
4
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