"This is probably the single most valuable resource for the entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies"—Ron Conway, Special Adviser, SV Angel, and investor in Facebook, Google, Twitter, Foursquare, PayPal, Zappos
"I highly recommend Venture Capitalists at Work. This book captures the personalities and approaches of a number of leading VC practitioners and displays the heart and soul of the venture capital process, by offering an exclusive window into the voice of the practitioners."—Gus Tai, Trinity Ventures
"Venture Capitalists at Work is a foundational pillar in an entrepreneur's understanding and resources. This is a first in terms of the level of detail, quality of discussion, and value to the entrepreneur."—George Zachary, Charles River Ventures and Investor in Twitter
Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes offers unparalleled insights into the funding and management of companies like YouTube, Zappos, Twitter, Starent, Facebook, and Groupon. The venture capitalists profiled—among the best in the business—also reveal how they identify promising markets, products, and entrepreneurs.
Author Tarang Shah, a venture capital professional himself, interviews rising VC stars, Internet and software investment pioneers, and venture investment thought leaders. You’ll learn firsthand what criteria venture capitalists use to make investments, how they structure deals, the many ways they help the companies they fund, avoidable mistakes they see all too often, the role of luck in a success, and why so many startups fail.
Venture Capitalists at Work also contains interviews with those on the receiving end of venture money—entrepreneurs in high-profile startups that went on to achieve great success. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an aspiring VC, an M&A professional, or an ambitious student, the knowledge you will gain from Venture Capitalists at Work could provide a significant shortcut to success.
Other books in the Apress At Work Series:
- Coders at Work, Seibel, 978-1-4302-1948-4
- CIOs at Work, Yourdon, 978-1-4302-3554-5
- CTOs at Work, Donaldson, Seigel, & Donaldson, 978-1-4302-3593-4
- Founders at Work, Livingston, 978-1-4302-1078-8
- European Founders at Work, Santos, 978-1-4302-3906-2
- Women Leaders at Work, Ghaffari, 978-1-4302-3729-7
- Advertisers at Work, Tuten, 978-1-4302-3828-7
- Gamers at Work, Ramsay. 978-1-4302-3351-0
What you’ll learn
- How venture capitalists identify promising markets, entrepreneurs, and companies
- What venture capitalists are looking for in entrepreneurs and business plans
- How to build an “A” team and a culture of success
- Successful relationship dynamics between entrepreneur and investors
- When to slow down, ramp up, and scale companies
- Knowing when to sell a business, keep growing, or shut it down
- Why startups fail
- Common entrepreneurial mistakes you can avoid
Who this book is for
This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs and venture capital/private equity investors. It's also for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in emerging markets who want to apply to homegrown ventures the Silicon Valley model of building billion-dollar startups. Corporate executives focused on innovation or mergers and acquisitions will find the book's insights priceless. Finally, business students and aspiring entrepreneurs will find this book a great reference guide and how-to manual for starting companies, building new products and services, and helping move the 21st century economy forward.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Roelof Botha, Sequoia CapitalChapter 2: Mike Maples, FLOODGATE Fund
Chapter 3: George Zachary, Charles River Ventures
Chapter 4: Sean Dalton, Highland Capital Partners
Chapter 5: Alex Mehr, Zoosk
Chapter 6: Howard Morgan, First Round Capital and Idealab
Chapter 7: Tim Draper, DFJ
Chapter 8: Osman Rashid, Chegg
Chapter 9: Harry Weller, NEA
Chapter 10: David Cowan, Bessemer Venture Partners
Chapter 11: Michael Birch, Bebo and Birthday Alarm
Chapter 12: Mitchell Kertzman, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Chapter 13: Scott Sandell, NEA
Chapter 14: Gus Tai, Trinity Ventures
Chapter 15: Steven Dietz, GRP Partners
Chapter 16: Paul Scanlan, MobiTV
Chapter 17: Ann Winblad, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Chapter 18: Jim Goetz, Sequoia Capital
Chapter 19: Roger Lee, Battery Ventures
Chapter 20: Ken Howery, Founders Fund
Chapter 21: Alfred Lin, Sequoia Capital and Zappos
Chapter 22: Kevin Hartz, Xoom and Eventbrite
Chapter 23: Eric Hippeau, Lerer Ventures and SoftBank Capital
Chapter 24: David Lee, SV Angels
Chapter 25: Ted Alexander, Mission Ventures
Chapter 26: Robert Kibble, Mission Ventures
Chapter 27: Rajiv Laroia, Flarion
Chapter 28: Jim Boettcher and Kevin McQuillan, Focus Ventures
Chapter 29: Mike Hodges, ATA Ventures
Chapter 30: Alan Patricof, Greycroft Partners
Chapter 31: Ben Elowitz, Blue Nile and Wet Paint
Chapter 32: Vish Mishra, Clearstone Venture Partners
Chapter 33: Richard Wong, Accel Partners
Chapter 34: Randy Komisar, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Chapter 35: Peter Wagner, Accel Partners
