Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Hardcover
$17.29

Paperback
$18.68

$17.29 with 42 percent savings

List Price: $30.00

FREE International Returns

No Import Fees Deposit & $10.52 Shipping to Netherlands Details

Delivery Thursday, January 9

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, January 7

In Stock

$$17.29 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Returnable until Jan 31, 2025

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Add to List

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (27) from $10.47

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Scott Kupor

Follow

Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It Hardcover – June 4, 2019

by Scott Kupor (Author), Eric Ries (Foreword)

4.7 1,128 ratings

See all formats and editions

Save 50% on 1 when you buy 2 Shop items

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$17.29","priceAmount":17.29,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"17","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"29","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"UX6JWpoD0LgjwYfJnumIuRET9rkIqWURo8d%2F0f1ORullNIL8R9RLUFs9Zt%2FBrrqBQp7wfmifjvBbfBhRG4paAh2gkp5Eh2wrJUg0GETFWQU3tx%2BEQP43awPVU5Mt85RlsQeHKAp%2FqTRvwu55l%2B6WwQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller!

What are venture capitalists saying about your startup behind closed doors? And what can you do to influence that conversation?

If Silicon Valley is the greatest wealth-generating machine in the world, Sand Hill Road is its humming engine. That's where you'll find the biggest names in venture capital, including famed VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, where lawyer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-VC Scott Kupor serves as managing partner.

Whether you're trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level, you need to understand how VCs think. In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Kupor explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs. Kupor explains, for instance:

   • Why most VCs typically invest in only one startup in a given business category.

   • Why the skill you need most when raising venture capital is the ability to tell a compelling story.

   • How to handle a "down round," when startups have to raise funds at a lower valuation than in the previous round.

   • What to do when VCs get too entangled in the day-to-day operations of the business.

   • Why you need to build relationships with potential acquirers long before you decide to sell.

Filled with Kupor's firsthand experiences, insider advice, and practical takeaways, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide every entrepreneur needs to turn their startup into the next unicorn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Worth far more than its cover price... I wish I'd had it available to me when I was first looking for startup funding."
Eric Ries, bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way, from the foreword

"As someone who’s helped a small company become a huge, valuable company, I know firsthand the power of the startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship. This book is the definitive book on navigating VC as part of that."
Eric Schmidt, former executive chairman and CEO of Google; technical advisor, Alphabet

“I’ve observed thousands of founders and thought a lot about what it takes to create something important and to achieve outlier success. Kupor’s book takes founders who want to do both through everything from how VCs raise money and evaluate deals, to how to think about term sheets and set up boards. It’s a valuable resource for any founder who wants to work with VCs.”
Sam Altman, partner and president Y Combinator; co-founder of OpenAI

“As more and more startups consider an IPO, it is exciting for us to play a part in giving millions of new investors the opportunity to share in the value and future growth of these seminal companies. But it all begins with the early investors who ‘venture’ into uncharted territory to help make these companies possible, by backing the entrepreneurs behind them. Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the definitive guide to how to engage the VC community, including governance and other best practices in a startup’s journey to a successful public company.
Adena Friedman, President and CEO of Nasdaq; former managing director and CFO, Carlyle Group

“From acquiring startups, to leading a company, to working to select the next leader of an iconic company, I’ve seen it all. It’s become clear to me that startups drive the kind of innovation that big companies can’t easily do. Secrets of Sand Hill Road provides a useful overview for the next generation of leaders seeking to start such companies.”
John W. Thompson, chairman, Microsoft; former CEO of Symantec

“Despite its explosive growth, the world of venture capital remains mysterious to many entrepreneurs seeking funding and to the public more generally. Scott Kupor provides an informative account of the way in which these investors select and nurture young companies.
Josh Lerner, head of the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School

Andreessen Horowitz’ managing partner Scott Kupor has written an indispensable guide for anyone with a big idea and an even bigger dream. Just as important, he gives the best explanation yet for policymakers about how entrepreneurs and venture capital together create the deep magic that generates technological progress, economic growth, and a better world for more people.
James Pethokoukis, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; former columnist at Reuters Breakingviews

About the Author

Scott Kupor is the managing partner of Andreessen Horowitz. He has overseen the firm's rapid growth to one hundred fifty employees and more than $7 billion in assets under management. He is also a cofounder and codirector of the Stanford Venture Capital Director's College and teaches venture capital and corporate governance courses at Stanford Law School and the Haas School of Business and Boalt School of Law at UC Berkeley. He is vice-chair of the investment committee for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and was previously the chairman of the board of the National Venture Capital Association.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio (June 4, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 059308358X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593083581
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 1 year and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.22 x 1.05 x 9.31 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #20,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #12 in Venture Capital (Books)
- #19 in Starting a Business (Books)
- #134 in Entrepreneurship (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 1,128 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Scott Kupor

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

1,128 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book informative and easy to follow. They find it a good reference and guide for venture capital investing. The content is clear and well-written, providing a comprehensive understanding of the process. Readers describe the book as an interesting read that provides useful insights into the complexities of venture capital funding. Overall, they consider it a valuable resource that offers a basic overview of venture capital investing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Informative Readability Value for money Clarity

34 customers mention "Informative"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and helpful. It provides a clear understanding of all aspects of venture capital and guides readers through the entire process. The author breaks down jargon and high-falutin finance double-speak.

"Well constructed with strong insights. Definitely worth the read. Good starter book overall but don’t buy if you are already well versed." Read more

"...It’s easy to follow, and the content is very informative!" Read more

"...reading this book and finding it quite helpful, as she decides whether to found a startup and pursue the..." Read more

"...-The author breaks down all the lingo, jargon, and highfalutin finance double-speak that sounds made up to the layman..." Read more

17 customers mention "Readability"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and interesting. They say it provides good insight into the ambiguity of VC funding. The book is described as an approachable and valuable read for board members. It reads like a Venture Finance textbook and is considered a good starter book overall.

"Well constructed with strong insights. Definitely worth the read. Good starter book overall but don’t buy if you are already well versed." Read more

"...and that's exactly what makes it so enjoyable to read." Read more

"...The book reads like a good novel and you don't even notice when you finish one chapter after another...." Read more

"It’s a good and interesting book, but it gets very specific on topics that mostly apply to Series A+ companies." Read more

10 customers mention "Value for money"10 positive0 negative

Customers find this book on venture capital insightful and a great guide. It provides a good basic crash course on venture funding of startups. The author has a simple and straightforward way of describing the knowledge, tactics, and negotiations needed to get VC funding. They find it valuable from a board perspective.

"...either of these three books is probably a good enough basics crash course on venture funding of startups." Read more

"...-The author breaks down all the lingo, jargon, and highfalutin finance double-speak that sounds made up to the layman..." Read more

"...does a great job revealing the knowledge, tactics, and negotiations needed to get VC funding. His writing is simple and clear...." Read more

"...Scott Kupor has a simple and straight-forward way of describing venturing capital financing for even the newest entrepreneur...." Read more

3 customers mention "Clarity"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's clarity. They say it provides solid advice for VCs and those looking to raise money from them.

"...His writing is simple and clear...." Read more

"...Scott does a terrific job of distilling all mumbo jumbo in a clear, cohesive way." Read more

"...Crystal clear, detailed, interesting — filled with remarkable stories and data, but also empathy and personal experience. Wonderfully written...." Read more

Sort by reviews type

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

William Burke
very approachable read
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
Well constructed with strong insights. Definitely worth the read. Good starter book overall but don’t buy if you are already well versed.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Bak Bak
Easy and Informative
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is a classic oeuvre for anyone interested in learning about the VC world! It’s easy to follow, and the content is very informative!

Read more

Helpful

Report
DanaJ
Basics rather than secrets
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
If I were to describe Scott Kupor’s Secrets of Sand Hill Road in a word, it would be “mistitled.” A more appropriate title would be something along the lines of The Basics of Sand Hill Road. The book does a solid enough job of covering the entire venture backed startup lifecycle in an easy to follow way. However, it’s hard to see how one could classify Kupor’s writing as revealing secrets.

Here and there, Kupor shares some really cool legal case studies that I’ve never come across, such as in the chapter about board member duties. Now that’s quality insight even someone who’s been in the ecosystem for 5+ years can appreciate! And it’s also something that Kupor, a lawyer by training, is particularly well positioned to share. I sincerely wish we’d gotten more of those case studies, legal or otherwise, because they make the whole journey through the startup lifecycle all the more interesting.

Instead, Kupor at times dons the Captain Obvious cape, with pronouncements such as “building relationships [with potential acquirers] is important.” Thanks, Scott, who would’ve thought?!

At the same time though, I recognize I may not be the target audience for this book. Kupor likely synthesized versions of startup/VC classes he teaches at Bay Area universities. I could imagine a sophomore at another university (one not smack dab in the middle of VC country) reading this book and finding it quite helpful, as she decides whether to found a startup and pursue the venture funding route.

It’s worth mentioning though that a significant share of the same content is also covered in Jeff Bussgang’s Mastering The VC Game. And while I haven’t read it, I’ve heard very positive things about Brad Feld’s Venture Deals. In all likelihood, reading either of these three books is probably a good enough basics crash course on venture funding of startups.

Read more

65 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Jon H.
The author delivers on all his promises. Lots of insider wisdom!
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
Wow. As soon as I heard about this book I knew I was going to read it. But I had low expectations. I'd heard the author promoting his book on several podcasts and when I heard him say things like, "In my book, I pull back the curtain and reveal the secrets used at VC firms," I prepared myself for disappointment.

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to be wrong!

-The author breaks down all the lingo, jargon, and highfalutin finance double-speak that sounds made up to the layman
-He helps you understand not just the relationship between the VC and the startup, but also the relationship between the VC and the LP
-You get to see the incentive structures LP's and VC's typically agree on, helping you (the entrepreneur) understand what motivates all the parties involved
-The book provides a mock term sheet with realistic numbers and devotes a chapter to each section of the term sheet

I could go on and on....

This definitely isn't a casual read - especially once it gets to the sample term sheet. The book can dive deep into details and abstractions (there were several sections I had to read multiple times - but I guess that's why I'm not a VC!), and that's exactly what makes it so enjoyable to read.

Read more

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Kurt C. Davis
Must read for an entrepreneur raising capital
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Scott does a great job revealing the knowledge, tactics, and negotiations needed to get VC funding. His writing is simple and clear. He guides the reader/entrepreneur through the entire process — from the key questions they will ask to the term sheet. If you are raising money, save yourself a lot of time and headaches, read this first. Thanks for writing it, Scott

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
KC
Well written book anyone interested in VC should read
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
The book has been suggested to me as an elective lecture at school. I am pleasantly surprised how well it is written. I was expecting another boring business book, but this is a must read for anyone interested in VC world. The book reads like a good novel and you don't even notice when you finish one chapter after another. I leared so much and I am sure I will be returning to this book many times in the future.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Fred
Good near reference book
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
I learned a lot from it about big VC's and how they view deals as well as a bunch of technical points on shareholder agreements, options, and the like. A pretty good reference to have around.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Paul S. Bodine
Very well done
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
As managing partner at Marc Andreessen’s VC fund a16z, Scott Kupor possesses the expertise and experience (he also teaches at Stanford Law and Haas Business School) to have written a very dry explication of the niceties of VC funding, if he’d wanted to. Fortunately, he decided instead to write a lucidly accessible, direct, and even sometimes entertaining explication brimming with low-key authority.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Raskolnikov
Barely what I expected
Reviewed in Mexico on May 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
The book meet my expectations but nothing more. It explains in clear terms how Venture Capital and the start up ecosystem work. The information is useful and well grounded but this is not a book that seduces you into the topic; in my opinion it lack the human side of the story and hence does not engage you at the personal level.

To me this would qualify as a text book: the authon does not dare to make bold assumptions or give enlightening premises.

One thing I learn is that common mortals usually cannot buy IPO stock and by the time the market opens to them the profits are already reaped: mostly on him - the late investor.

Read more
Report
YasTech Developments
Like new
Reviewed in Canada on July 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
The book was like new even though it was used. Shipped quickly as well.

Read more
Report
bcn1996
good book in amazing state
Reviewed in Spain on December 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
good book in amazing state

Read more
Report
Gary Guttenberg
Insightful overview
Reviewed in Sweden on September 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Highly useful for those aiming to understand how VCs operate and the terms often regulating investments.

Read more
Report
C French
Must-read for anyone thinking of raising capital from VCs
Reviewed in Belgium on November 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Really good introduction to what's key when negotiating term sheets with VCs. Admittedly US-centric but nonetheless very valuable for EU-based startups. Haven't found any better intro into the subject yet.

Read more
Report

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Shipping & Fee Details

Image Unavailable

Follow the author