The industry put $100bn to work in 2001 and only ~$20bn in 2002. The trick is to stay lean and not to overfund and overvalue companies where the investment only "works" if it eventually trades at 8x revenue and never needs another round of funding. My first year in venture was 2002. will a recession hurt our companies, perhaps fatally? MORE >>

The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet  bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion. Staying “lean&# is not an option. Here’s my take: 1. MORE >>

The Lean VC: a Silicon Valley story about Innovation, Incubation, & Iteration. SlideShare has just released the most significant business-focused advertising and marketing technology innovation since Google launched keyword-based text advertising in 2001. The Internet Revolution, Act III. The 4 Things You Really Need. Part II! MORE >>

Launching Tech Ventures This blog collects student, guest, and instructor posts from Launching Technology Ventures, a Harvard Business School MBA elective course that examines lean startup management practices. Now, with low technology costs, the goal is to do a lean start-up and get breakout user traction before raising serious VC money. MORE >>

We went “nuclear&# and slimmed down to 33 people (yes, I know, still large by today’s standards but this was 2001), raised $10 million and we built a real company. I learned everything I know about startups in these lean years: 2001-2004. Here’s my take: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish. Penny wise, pound foolish. MORE >>