[author: Bill Warren]

Some interesting links we found across the web this week: 

Board Basics: Advisory Boards
A seed or series A round often triggers a game of musical chairs for board seats. Fortunately, an advisory board serves as a powerful tool for keeping industry veterans, early-backers, and mentors connected to your company.

Don't Know Your TAM? Investors Won't Look Twice
Forbes addresses the importance of knowing your market inside and out. Entrepreneurs need to be able to answer this one, not so simple question when asked by VCs.

Conscious Innovation in the Age of Millennials
Companies need to stay mindful of the fact that Millennials are a generation of high expectations. Profit margins and good customer service might not be enough for this young mission-driven cohort of employees and customers.

The Smart Way to Use Numbers to Scale Your Business
The calculus of going big (and not going home) requires good metrics to measure success and identify business needs. 

7 Tips for Choosing the Right Lending Options to Stock Your Holiday Shelves
Entrepreneur lends a hand with advice for retailers considering the most cost-effective way to finance their inventory during the holiday shopping season.

The Competitive Landscape for Machine Intelligence
If A.I. is on your mind, this helpful article from the Harvard Business Review takes a look at the machine intelligence landscape. 

How Peer-to-Peer Payment App Cookies Imploded
Well folks, that’s how the cookie crumbles. TechCrunch digs into a cautionary tale of one promising FinTech startup’s demise and, in the process, provides some good reminders on the importance of co-founder due diligence and working with your board.