Thursday, October 26, 2006

Hands On Venture Capitalists

I've been a big fan (and disciple) of Rick Segal and have often referred to him and his expertise in all matters VC. I finally had the great pleasure of meeting Rick a few weeks ago in London.

I asked Rick a bit about his level of involvement with the startup companies in his portfolio and he told me how in some cases he's even had to write code!

My respect for Rick tripled! Most VCs have a tendency to sit back and 'consult' and 'strategize'. We're a startup company with big ideas and lots of spirit, but what we need most in the beginning is hands-on help from experienced folks.

I'm extremely fortunate in this regard by having Geoff Hainebach on our board. This 60-something former CEO of Siemens (Southern Africa) is a great strategic mind and an amazing 'connector', but most of all he has the ability to see when we are struggling with the details, energetically jump in, coordinate a sales plan and throw together a really good presentation!

If you ever get VC funding, make sure you get their money's worth!

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