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How to make a million dollars - Lessons Learned From 1,000-Plus Investments

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How to make a million dollars - Lessons Learned From 1,000-Plus Investments

Don Valentine is the Founder of Sequoia Capital. Globally respected as "the grandfather of venture capital," Don started Sequoia Capital in 1972, at a time when neither Silicon Valley nor venture capital existed. One of the original investors in companies such as Apple, Atari, Oracle, and Cisco, Don played a vital role in the inception of several…

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Notes

  1. What Was It Like to Be Investing in the Early Personal Computer at 1:31

    To make a computer as we know it today, everything had to be invented. There was no such thing as an operating system. There was no such thing as a mouse. Full answer

  2. Why Did Don Valentine Find Silicon Valley So Attractive at 5:41

    Don Valentine did not know about Silicon Valley at first, but he knew chemistry and he wanted to be in the semiconductor business. Full answer

  3. What Prompted Don Valentine to Start a Venture Capital Firm at 8:01

    At the time, even in Silicon Valley, there was no environment where one could raise money and start a company, and any available money was carefully… Full answer

  4. How Do You Open an American Company in China at 19:23

    Instead of bringing your American team over, you staff the new company with the locals, making sure your company has a Chinese DNA from the start. Full answer

  5. What's the Most Successful Startup Format of the Future at 21:19

    Be an agent, don't own anything. Uber does not own cars, Airbnb does not own building, and Amazon does not own the items they sell. Full answer

  6. Why Would a Successful Company Change Their Business Model at 24:37

    Companies die when they fail to perceive and adopt to the future. It is essential to the success of a company to reinvent themselves, with care. Full answer

  7. How Do You Remain at the Cutting Edge at 29:45

    Change your diet. Take risks, and advance your products beyond current applications. Full answer

  8. How Did the Ford Motor Company Fail to Innovate at 35:47

    They were built in an interesting way. Full answer

  9. How Should VCs Think About Investing in Biotech Startups at 52:30

    Biology and pharmaceuticals are interesting investments, but they take too much time, too much money, and the risk is very high. Full answer

  10. What Does Sequoia Do Differently From Other VC Firms at 1:01:13

    At the very beginning, instead of having a partner choose a startup they want to join, Sequoia lets the startup choose a partner they'd like to work with. Full answer

  11. Why Didn't Sequoia Invest in Facebook at 1:07:10

    Peter Thiel and Sean Parker teamed up to make sure Sequoia was not part of Facebook's early round. Full answer

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