The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth

Book that introduces why, how, and what VCs think and do everyday (AKA their day job). It introduces the framework clearly in full, but not the specific details (LOL, that's the secret that differentiates mediocre VCs and top-performing VCs). So presumably anyone is interested in becoming a VC or to adopt the mindset to their work, this book is only a starting point and there are more books to read and things to experiment, before they can settle.

A nice insight into "the venture mindset" - something of a collection of real-life experiences showcasing how does Silicon Valley think

I had been looking forward to this book because of the authors’ exceptional expertise in VC. Ilya Strebulaev is a Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), where he teaches a highly popular class on venture capital and has among his former students both unicorn founders (e.g., DoorDash) and prominent VCs. Prof. Strebulaev is a prolific researcher and is considered the world’s leading authority on all matters VC. His co-author, Alex Dang, is a venture builder, tech executive, and former partner at McKinsey. I was looking for insights into the world of VC from real authorities in this field, and I got all I wanted and more. Here is what I really loved about the book: It is a great example of storytelling and reads smoothly, which is rare for a data-driven and research-based publication. One remarkable real-life story leads to another, and it was hard to put the book down once I started reading it. I finished the book in one weekend. As someone who has fundraised, I find the insight into how VCs process founder pitches and assess founder teams to be immensely helpful. If you are considering raising capital from VCs, you may find it useful too. The way the authors articulated real option theory, both in the VC context and in life generally, was refreshing. Putting my managerial hat on, I appreciate the real-life frameworks for facilitating innovation in an established organization. The authors give examples of incumbents who have made it work. There are also plenty of stories about what can go wrong – escalation of commitment is my favorite. There are numerous lessons on organizational decision-making and ways to correct for biases. Overall, it is a great read for anyone interested in VC, startups, management, decision-making, corporate history, wine, Silicon Valley, literature, networking, Stanford, innovation, sharks, red flags, parenting, GSB, building things, risk-taking, the future, biases, jockeys & horses, unicorns, successes & failures, teams, incentives, TV shows, games, pies, pricing, marshmallows, etc. – a rare multidimensional book from erudite authors. A real treat.

Great read - lots of terrific, data backed insights instead of just speculation. Very practical in guiding founders towards the right mindset and actions. Well done!

Highly useful for the practitioner.