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The Thin Skin of the Venture Capital Market

This is going to be BIG.

The fact is, it''s just not cool to criticize the investing side of the venture capital market. I think it sucks that we are in a media culture where we''re supposed to give everyone pats on the head for entrepreneurship when there are legitimate criticisms to be had about the high profile investments we read about all the time.

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Playing the Long Game in Venture Capital

Both Sides of the Table

The culture is driven by the 20-something irreverent founder with huge technical chops who in a “David vs. Goliath” mythology take on the titans of industry and wins. Silicon Valley and the media industry that surrounds it values youth.

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Why “The Culture of Failure” is Imperative to Startup Communities

Both Sides of the Table

After a recent discussion I had with Steve Blank it made me remember that I had left off one of the most critical factors – a culture of failure. At this time I can tell you that the Brits definitely didn’t have a culture of failure. 11:00 How do you think the ‘failure’ culture emerged in Silicon Valley?

culture 350
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Faulty Logic in the Venture Capital and Female Founder Discussion

This is going to be BIG.

We all have our inherent biases and what I am not arguing here is that the venture capital world is a fair playing field for anyone. I repeat: I AM NOT ARGUING THAT VENTURE CAPITAL IS FAIR TO ANYONE. billion went to women-led ventures.". billion went to women-led ventures.". Sounds awful, right?

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Does a VCs Culture Really Matter? The Upfront Story

Both Sides of the Table

The biggest difference I cite is that Venture Capital often feels like an “individual sport” while startups are a “team sport.” ” We won’t be the right cultural fit for every entrepreneur but if we’re truly WYSIWYG then it helps entrepreneurs decide if we’re aligned.

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Valuing a Venture Capital Portfolio

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

It’s a huge part of our culture. While the partner closest to the company will always have the best sense of value, debating and discussing often leads to a better answer. We do this in everything we do at USV. Valuing a private investment or a portfolio of private investments is an inexact exercise.

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Why I Look for High Conviction, not Consensus, in Venture Capital Decisions

Both Sides of the Table

One of the least understood parts of the venture capital industry and venture capital firms is how investment decisions actually get made. The beauty of venture capital is that on any given deal I can only lose one times my money. And as a firm we try to breed that culture.