Confessions of a Venture Capitalist

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAY 1, 2000

Many investors dream about buying shares of companies like Microsoft or AOL at their initial public offerings for only a few dollars per share (split-adjusted). But imagine participating in the earliest meetings, as Quindlen did, where financiers considered getting in for pennies per share (in the cases of the aforementioned companies, most said "no"). In this incisive look at the world of venture capital, Quindlen, a partner at one of the most successful firms, IVP, also presents the inside scoop on the exploits of investment banks like Alex Brown, which in the 1980s brought some of the most exciting technology companies to market, and the venture capital firms that have sprung up along Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley since the early 1990s. The apparent ease with which she conveys her minimalist vignettes belies Quindlen's considerable literary talent; readers will find themselves recalling her phrases with satisfaction. Near the end of the book, she asks many of the successful entrepreneurs she has financed to relate the single most useful piece of advice they could have received when starting out. The distilled wisdom in their answers will teach readers more than they will learn from most business books. Written to help entrepreneurs gain funding, this valuable book is not so much a step-by-step guide as a brilliantly illuminating window into how venture capitalists think. Those looking to finance a business can make no better investment. 25-city radio satellite tour.