The Cloud Of Stuff
Whilst every venture capital or private equity firm believes itself to be unique in some way, the reality is that, for most CEOs and entrepreneurs, the similarities between firms are more obvious than the differences. So how, as a venture capital or private equity investor, do you persuade an entrepreneur or CEO to choose your proposal in preference to that of a competitor?
Paul Traynor and Alice Chapman, both experienced investors, reflect on the challenges of competing to establish yourself as the CEO or entrepreneur’s preferred choice of investor and explain why venture capital and private equity firms should integrate selling theory and skills into their competitive strategy.
An insightful and provocative treatise on the art of winning deals, The Cloud of Stuff is essential reading for venture capital and private equity investors.
In Search Of Thursday
What do entrepreneurs and cockroaches have in common? How do you persuade WHSmith to sell pornography? Which is more important for a career in venture capital: commercial judgement or interrupting skills? Do lemons make better investments than plums? Discuss the value in investment analysis of ‘putting one’s cock on the block’.
In 1985, at the age of 25, long before Dragon’s Den was a thing, Paul Traynor had a fantasy about demolishing would-be entrepreneurs’ business propositions with a sharp question and a sceptically arched eyebrow. So he joined 3i, an investment firm which was known affectionately as the University of Venture Capital because it trained several generations of young men and women to become venture capital and private equity investors. A posting to Silicon Valley would have been nice. Instead he was sent to Birmingham, given a fast car, a telephone directory and told to go and find some companies to invest in. It all worked out very well … in the end.
What readers say about In Search of Thursday:
“Outrageous and well written as ever, I particularly enjoyed the pen portraits. There were several situations which produced a suitable mixture of laughter and tears. A great memento of a very different era.”
“Extremely well-written and amusing and despite having no background in finance, I had no difficulty in grasping the terminology. The narrative is completely charming and the anecdotes compelling – a great read!”
“Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. It was characteristically funny and acerbic in equal measure.”
“Very lucid and amusing. There is such a wealth of stories and characters that I wonder if there is a script in it!”
“Just brilliant, it zips along and there are moments you need to re-read bits as they are such a joy. The bit about projections and why you shouldn’t fund a start-up is sheer genius.”
“Compelling expose of venture capital, the world of speculative finance is made as accessible to us as shopping at Sainsburys. Wittily written with an appropriate cast-list of monsters and saints, the journey from office-boy to guv’nor contains enough pratfalls to keep you laughing and to downplay the modestly described triumphs. Good fun.”