To VC or Not to VC? (9/25/2006)

Duration
1:30:07

Rebecca Buckman, Venture Capital Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Steve Domenik, General Partner, Sevin Rosen Funds
Steve Lewis, CEO, President and Founder, Teneros, Inc.
Scott Potter, Managing Partner, San Francisco Equity Partners

Recently, experienced entrepreneurs like Joe Kraus (Excite @ Home co-founder) have been warning serial entrepreneurs not to take venture capital funding, and analysts such as Mary Meeker are saying that with all the wealth created in the past, entrepreneurs are now truly rich enough to not be reliant on venture capital. In addition, there is a growing trend of start-up companies foregoing VC money. Is this the beginning of a shift in the balance of power between startups and VCs? How do VCs distinguish companies that are purely offering easily-acquired features from those companies that can flourish into successful corporations? This panel will offer an open dialogue with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs discussing the two roads for early stage entrepreneurs: funding/incubation with established players versus bootstrapping.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on September 25, 2006.