21. Most projects are a challenge for
Silicon Valley investors
Labs -> just technology -> no product or team
Voyeurism & Art -> hard to build a business case
Medical applications -> OK for health investors
VR/AR/Entertainment -> OK, if that is what you are into
Location can be a problem…
22. A Handful of Silicon Valley Investors
Are Investing in the Space
Khosla Ventures
Jazz Ventures
True Ventures
Obvious Ventures
Spero Ventures
And a few others, but not many…
24. Don’t believe everything you read in
blogs and books
Most success stories are made with 20/20 revisionist
hindsight
It often takes time, e.g. StumbleUpon and Twitter were not
overnight successes as some people think…
Hindsight gives great strategic vision. In most cases,
successes are built incrementally and with a lot of luck.
25. Take Risks.
But One at at time!
Make big bold bets. All of the most successful entrepreneurs
do!
Diversify over time: focusing on one thing at a time. Don’t
“hedge your bets”.
But, it is OK to experiment with different things for a while
until you decide what you want to focus on. Just for a while…
26. Hire Slow & Fire Fast
The moment you start thinking someone might not be
working out, they aren’t
But letting someone go is difficult and painful for everyone, so don’t
cut corners when hiring.
Same goes for co-founders, service providers, and others.
Prioritize talent Over experience
Do thorough references!!! Or better yet, a trial period.
27. You can’t follow
all the advice that you get
Silicon Valley is very diverse and there are many
philosophies and approaches that co-exist here
Context is key
You must find the approach that works for you
Customize learnings to your situation
28. How I choose
my entrepreneurs?
Did I have fun during the meeting?
Do I want to have dinner with the entrepreneurs?
Will the project have a meaningful impact?
Is the business opportunity large enough?
Can I help? BTW: Help us help you!