A full revised edition of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book on startups and entrepreneurship
As each new generation of entrepreneurs emerges, there is a renewed interest in how venture capital deals come together. Yet there is little reliable information focused on venture capital deals. Nobody understands this better than authors Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson. For more than twenty years, they've been involved in hundreds of venture capital financings, and now, with the Second Edition of Venture Deals, they continue to share their experiences in this field with you.
Engaging and informative, this reliable resource skillfully outlines the essential elements of the venture capital term sheet—from terms related to economics to terms related to control. It strives to give a balanced view of the particular terms along with the strategies to getting to a fair deal. In addition to examining the nuts and bolts of the term sheet, Venture Deals, Second Edition also introduces you to the various participants in the process and discusses how fundraising works.
I'm CEO of a tech company based in Silicon Valley, and I've been reading Brad's blog for a long time.
I wasn't sure how much new information the book would provide -- after all, just following the blogs of top Valley-based entrepreneurs and VCs provides a wealth of information (Brad Feld, Fred Wilson, Steve Blank, Mark Suster, pmarca, Sean Ellis, Ben Horowitz -- the list goes on)
But the book delivers in a few key areas: First off, Brad & Jason break down the entire process from soup to nuts. That's great for first-time entrepreneurs. I wouldn't be surprised if this book became the bible of startup incubator programs. There's enough detail to make it feel fresh, but it's not so dense that it's hard to get through. I would suggest a re-read though, especially if you're completely new to fundraising (like Dick Costolo says in the forward, if you don't know preferred stock from chicken stock).
The real value for more experienced entrepreneurs lies in the nuances of the fundraising process. If you've been through it before, you know that one misstep can be very costly, and there's absolutely a "code" to follow. Its described eloquently as VCs looking to do deals with those who can speak their language. So consider this a way to get fluent in that language, so you can focus on what's important to you, instead of junior mistakes.
It seems like a lot of deals that you hear about from the VC world are all done by insiders. Part of that is just perception, but part of it is reality: People who've done lots of VC deals get VC funding much more quickly and easily.
Part of that, clearly, is the track record. I think another part of it, however, is just the world of VC. The actual VCs are so busy that they just don't have time to give a whole education to the founders of the companies that are seeking funding. They want to deal with someone who speaks their language.
That's why this book is so useful. Any reader who really gets immersed in every page won't be able to help but emerge from the experience with an imprint of the language of VC. If you really read it, you'll have the advantage of at least sounding like an insider, someone who really has the language down. If you have the language down, well, that's the crucial first step.
If you were thinking of moving to, say, Portugal for more than five years, you'd probably buy a book and really try to learn some Portuguese before you go and keep it with you there. If you really want to get some VC, you are going to live in that world for at least five years. This is the book you need to read and study over and over for your journey.
Product Details :
Hardcover: 236 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (December 26, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1118443616
ISBN-13: 978-1118443613
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
More Details about Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist 2nd edition
or
Download Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist 2nd edition PDF Ebook
No comments:
Post a Comment