ReadWriteStart

Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model. The process they use to guide that search is "Customer Development"; and to track their progress startups now have a scorecard to document their week-by-week changes – the business model canvas.

Yet even with all these tools, early stage startups still need to physically meet with advisors and investors. That's great if you can get it. But what if you can't?

What's missing is a way to communicate all this complex information and get feedback and guidance for startups who cannot get advice in a formal board meeting.

As customer and agile development reinvent the startup, it's time to ask why startup board governance has not kept up with the pace of innovation. Board meetings that guide startups haven't changed since the early 1900's. It's time.

Reinventing the board meeting may offer venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. Reinventing the board meeting may offer angel-funded startups - which because of geography or size of investment typically don't have formal boards or directors - to attract experienced advice and investment outside of technology clusters (i.e. Silicon Valley, New York).

Here's how.

The great thing about following the hundreds of venture capitalist bloggers is that every now then when one of them writes a rather poignant entry, several other VCs will latch on and provide their opinions on their blogs or in comments. Such is the case surrounding a recent article by Mark Suster of GRP Partners about the "agile board," a phrase he has coined to explain the techniques startups should use to keep their board members more actively involved in the business. Since being posted to Suster's blog, Both Sides of the Table, a handful of other VCs have weighed in with their opinions on the subject.