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.
...It also takes a very, very long time to know if your vitamins are even working for you. If you have a headache, though, you’ll do just about anything to get an aspirin! They solve your problem and they are fast acting. Similarly, products that often have massive advantages over the status quo are aspirins; VCs want to fund aspirins.~ Scott Kupor Secrets of Sand Hill Road
What Others Have to Say
The EconomistThere is more than enough substance in Mr. Horowitz’s impressive tome to turn it into a leadership classic.
TechCrunchThis isn’t your traditional, how-to founder advice. He tackles the real problems and challenges entrepreneurs face ... But where Horowitz separates himself is in his advice around how to control your own psychology and demons as a CEO and founder. These are real problems that every CEO and leader faces, as sometimes they are their own worst enemy ... My bet is that Horowitz’s book becomes gospel for startups. His stories already have.
New York TimesHis book takes readers through Mr. Horowitz’s own fascinating career, while sharing examples and dispensing advice drawn from the careers of others ... The honesty is both refreshing and compelling, and readers will enjoy being taken through challenge after challenge alongside Mr. Horowitz.
The Washington PostWith a candid, even profanity-laced style that quotes everyone from Silicon Valley legend Bill Campbell to hip-hop star Nas, Horowitz writes about what it takes to manage people and lead organizations today ... Even the most seasoned managers will appreciate Horowitz’s discussion of the emotional toll of high-power jobs and what he calls the CEO psychological meltdown.
FortuneHorowitz tends to dispense management advice in a kind of one-two punch. First comes the self-deprecating quip about mismanagement and misery, delivered with a knowing grin and capped with a two-beat chuckle. But soon the smile will vanish, and he’ll turn dead serious. His brow will furrow slightly, his eyes will widen and focus with an intensity that borders on scary, and he’ll speak slowly, deliberately. It’s almost as if you can’t afford not to listen.
PandoDailyThe most valuable book on startup management, hands down.
The EconomistThere is more than enough substance in Mr. Horowitz’s impressive tome to turn it into a leadership classic.
TechCrunchThis isn’t your traditional, how-to founder advice. He tackles the real problems and challenges entrepreneurs face ... But where Horowitz separates himself is in his advice around how to control your own psychology and demons as a CEO and founder. These are real problems that every CEO and leader faces, as sometimes they are their own worst enemy ... My bet is that Horowitz’s book becomes gospel for startups. His stories already have.
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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.
