Zero Gravity: Riding Venture Capital from High-Tech Start-up to Breakout IPO

From Publisher: Venture capital is rocket fuel of new, high-tech economy. The Internet...it's a wild ride. High-flying Internet companies seem to operate by their own set of rules--outside natural laws of gravity that apply to most businesses. It's an environment in which perception is more important than profits, and mind share is greater that market share. This is Gravity, and it's what all Internet start-ups aspire to. But how do garage entrepreneurs and Internet junkies make transition from first caffeine-induced idea to blockbuster IPO and instant-millionaire status? The answer is venture capital--which has funded nearly every successful start-up. This by noted Internet stock analyst Steve Harmon provides an insider's edge and a savvy look inside topsy-turvy culture of venture capital and Silicon Valley start-ups. It delivers valuable guidelines from top venture capitalists, such as John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins, Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad, and Esther Dyson of EDVenture Holdings--the leaders who make rules in cyberspace. Zero also contains advice and lively anecdotes on business growth and Internet company etiquette from luminaries such as Jerry Yang of Yahoo! and Jeffrey Bezos of Amazon.com. It provides contacts you need, in tandem with know-how it takes to operate successfully in frenetic, high-stakes world of Internet business. This is the little black book for anyone interested in what's really going on in this news-making industry. Zero Gravity Launchpad includes: Peeking into portfolios of top venture capitalists Successfully positioning company vision, concepts, and personnel Selling idea and closing deal Putting a price tag on intellectual property Using venture funding to get big fast Attracting angels and other sources for venture capital