Introducing

Secrets of Sand Hill Road

The definitive guide to venture capital and how to get it, from Andreessen Horowitz managing partner Scott Kupor.

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The entrepreneur's roadmap for navigating the world of venture capital

For many entrepreneurs, the world of venture capital can seem mysterious at best, adversarial at worst. And yet, understanding how venture capital works and how VCs make decisions is often critical to the success of many startups. Whether trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level, founders need to know just what makes VCs tick.

In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Andreessen Horowitz's managing partner (and former entrepreneur himself) Scott Kupor demystifies the role of venture capital in all stages of the startup lifecycle. He explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs. Kupor sheds light on:

  • Why most VCs typically invest in only one startup per business category
  • Why the skill founders need most in raising venture capital is storytelling
  • How to handle a "down round"
  • What to do when VCs get too entangled in the day-to-day operations of your business
  • And much more

Filled with firsthand experiences, insider advice, and practical takeaways, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide not just for every entrepreneur looking to grow their startup, but for anyone seeking to understand venture capital as a driver for innovation, business, and policy.

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Praise for the Book

As more and more startups consider an IPO, it is exciting for us to play a part in giving millions of new investors the opportunity to share in the value and future growth of these seminal companies. But it all begins with the early investors who ‘venture’ into uncharted territory to help make these companies possible, by backing the entrepreneurs behind them. Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the definitive guide to how to engage the VC community, including governance and other best practices in a startup’s journey to a successful public company.

 Adena Friedman President and CEO of Nasdaq; former managing director and CFO of the Carlyle Group

As someone who’s helped a small company become a huge, valuable company, I know firsthand the power of the startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship. This book is the definitive book on navigating VC as part of that.

 Eric Schmidt Former executive chairman and CEO of Google; technical advisor of Alphabet

I’ve observed thousands of founders and thought a lot about what it takes to create something important and to achieve outlier success. Kupor’s book takes founders who want to do both through everything from how VCs raise money and evaluate deals, to how to think about term sheets and set up boards. It’s a valuable resource for any founder who wants to work with VCs.

 Sam Altman Partner and president of Y Combinator; co-founder of OpenAI

About the Author

Scott Kupor is the managing partner of Andreessen Horowitz. He has overseen the firm's rapid growth to one hundred and fifty employees and more than $10 billion in assets under management. He is also a co-founder and co-director of the Stanford Venture Capital Director's College and teaches venture capital and corporate governance courses at Stanford Law School and the Haas School of Business and Boalt School of Law at UC Berkeley. He is the vice-chair of the investment committee for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and was previously the chairman of the board of the National Venture Capital Association. He has appeared on CNBC, and has written for The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Financial Times, and Bloomberg Opinion. 

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