Tag: chapter 11

  • Bail Out Entrepreneurs, Not Big Auto

    So, the Auto Bailout bombed in the Senate. Good. (Never thought I’d be writing about it in Venture Files . . . but then, I never imagined it might affect entrepreneurs — including me — directly.) It’s an intriguing tale of desperation, fear tactics, and irony. Desperation because the auto industry leaders are out of…

  • Chapter 11, Pt. 2: Hard Lessons from the Chapter

    This is a continuation of the series that began with Chapter 11: To File or Not to File Convinced that we could get all our creditors’ cooperation without formally filing for protection under Chapter 11, we proceeded nonetheless to get experienced professionals on board. The workout team was assembled — insiders including myself and my…

  • Chapter 11, Pt. 1: To File, or Not to File?

    It’s a timely topic, but when asked to detail my experience with Chapter 11, the line that came to mind was from the end of ‘Misery’, when James Caan is lunching with his agent: “Gee, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were asking me to dredge up the worst horror of my life,…