Gerken Louis C. - The little book of venture capital investing empowering economic growth and investment portfolios

Contents

Little Book Big Profits Series

In the Little Book Big Profits series, the brightest icons in the financial world write on topics that range from tried-and-true investment strategies to tomorrows new trends. Each book offers a unique perspective on investing, allowing the reader to pick and choose from the very best in investment advice today.

Books in the Little Book Big Profits series include:

Cover design: Paul McCarthy

Copyright 2014 by Louis C. Gerken. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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ISBN 978-1-118-55198-1 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-118-55201-8 (ePDF)

ISBN 978-1-118-55199-8 (ePub)

To my daughter Alexandra ,

the hardest worker I know.

From my point of view VC is the ultimate in supply-side, and this Little Book captures this in a way not done before.

Art Laffer, Laffer Associates

The only VC-related book Im aware of, providing a lively and contemporary go-to synopsis on the state of the VC industry, the ins-and-outs of how to invest in the space, and a forward look at whats needed to re-ignite the VC growth engine.

Frank J. Caufield, co-founder, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Acknowledgments

It occurred to me as I started writing this book that I wanted to draft this section and compare it with how I felt about the contents when it was completed. In a book with as many invaluable sources as The Little Book of Venture Capital Investing , it goes without saying that there are many people from whom I am constantly learning and who have greatly influenced my thinking and views. Venture Capital Investing owes a great deal to Wesley Whittaker, my talented co-writer; thank you so much to John Wiley & Sons for the referral. Thanks to editor Debra Englander and her terrific colleagues at Wiley for believing in me as a first-time author. A special thank-you also goes out to my partners and professional staff at Gerken Capital; thank you Carla, Pankti, Anthony, Valerie, Pierre, Elizabeth, Peter, Laura, and Yaneth for the faithful support that allowed me the time to indulge in this first book-writing journey, about a business that I continue to enjoy. The industrys guardian angels have blessed me with financial success, so I can truly say that I still work as hard as I do because I was fortunate to leverage something that I am really passionate about into a career.

I also wish to give recognition to all the VC industry pioneers, current pathfinders, and tomorrows trailblazers who never cease to amaze me with their savvy determination and survival skills. I see no limit to what is possible by Americas entrepreneurs when unbridled to do what they do best.

Special thanks also goes to the wealth of sources I accessed to write this book, where there is such an abundance of industry data and intellectual capital available for a first-time author to access.

Lastly, I give special recognition to my parents who started me on the path to investing when they seeded my first investment portfolio at age 12 (Litton Industries, LTV, and PSAsadly now all defunct enterprises).

In closing, I trust that this Little Book will be helpful in some small way to small business ownerswho make up 93 percent of all businesses in the United States, who work tirelessly and risk so much. They deserve better access to growth capital and the opportunity to become one-percenters.