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Why The Government is Isn’t a Bigger Version of a Startup

Steve Blank

Indeed, Silicon Valley was born as a center for weapon systems development and its software and silicon helped end the Cold War. As there was no venture capital, these early startups were funded by early sales to weapon systems prime contractors and subcontractors.

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What Do LPs Think of the Venture Capital Markets for 2016?

Both Sides of the Table

At the Upfront Summit in early February, we had a chance to have many off-the-record conversations with Limited Partners (LPs) who fund Venture Capital (VC) funds about their views of the market. LPs Still Believe Strongly in Venture Capital as a Diverse Source of Returns.

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Is Going for Rapid Growth Always Good? Aren’t Startups So Much More?

Both Sides of the Table

He also nails the reason why venture capital is still necessary to grow large businesses quickly in a world where the costs of running startups have fallen dramatically. And the wrong message is frankly strewn all over Silicon Valley. After all, growth equals high valuations and loads of venture capital!

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Early-stage Regional Venture Funds–part 2 of 3 of Bigger in Bend

Steve Blank

These four developments, while important to Silicon Valley, are vital to developing regional tech clusters. While the density of Silicon Valley startups can’t be replicated in regions, the barriers of money and resources have disappeared. Why Valley Rules Don’t Work in Regional Economies.

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A Venture Capital History Perspective From Jack Tankersley

Feld Thoughts

In January, Jerry Neumann wrote a long and detailed analysis of his view of the VC industry in the 1980’s titled Heat Death: Venture Capital in the 1980’s. For example, my firm at the time, Continental Illinois Venture Corporation, the wholly owned SBIC of Chicago’s Continental Bank, had many successful investments.

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Why Facebook is Killing Silicon Valley

Steve Blank

This intersection of a customer base of billions of people with applications that are used/needed 24/7 never existed before.The potential revenue and profits from these users (or advertisers who want to reach them) and the speed of scale of the winning companies can be breathtaking. I’m an investor in many of these venture firms.)

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Is the Lean Startup Dead?

Steve Blank

Almost overnight the floodgates opened, and risk capital was available at scale from venture capital investors who rushed their startups toward public offerings. The unprecedented size and scale of VC returns transformed venture capital from a financial asset backwater into full-fledged player in the financial markets.

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