Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
Tarang Shah, Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah
amazon.com
Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
The key to start-up success is purity of motivation. The most successful entrepreneurs tend to start with a desire to solve an interesting problem—one that’s often driven by a personal frustration.
Tarang Shah, Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah • Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
The great companies are leaning forward. The personality of the company is naturally inquisitive and naturally aggressive.
Tarang Shah, Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah • Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
Besides the virality and viral channels, what else stands out to you in a great product? Lee: Engagement. Do I go back and use the product on a consistent basis? Is the experience such that I am getting value out of it consistently? It does not have to be every hour or every day, but is there something there that is new and insightful on at least a
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I think many entrepreneurs, at least many first-time entrepreneurs, pick an idea that seems “manageable” or “less risky” than other ideas. In fact, these “safer” ideas may actually be riskier than bigger ideas. The problem is, an idea that does not seem risky to you probably doesn’t seem risky to lot of other people. Given how risk-averse our
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technology is not kind to gatekeepers,
Tarang Shah, Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah • Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
the entrepreneur has to be receptive of the value that the VC really brings to the table—the knowledge and network and the been-there-done-that scenarios.
Tarang Shah, Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah • Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes
And they’ll ask me, “Well, how do your companies solve this? What do you see?” And when they’re asking me, or if they say to me, “Hey, you know, I saw that in your portfolio you’re an investor in Nominum, and you’re an investor in Reputation. I really want to meet those guys because I have an idea that I think we can work with each other.” People
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But the factor that enables you to have the greatest effect on the company’s ultimate success or failure is the communications channel between entrepreneurs and investors. As in physics, “complex adaptive systems,” are highly affected by their initial conditions. Shah: That is why, for kids, so much focus goes on building their mind right during
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Also, asking the obvious stupid questions is effective. Getting everyone together and asking really stupid questions works surprisingly well. Trying to be the really smart guy in the room usually fails.