After living in
Silicon Valley for a couple years, I am really surprised how difficult it has been to cut through the hype around the "hot start-ups", the "next big thing in technology", the "who's who of top Executives", and the fast-growing companies backed the "top venture capital firm" in the Valley.
You have to be careful on how you analyze an organization and remember that the grass is not always greener. It took me a while to uncover, in my opinion, the #1 Venture Capital Firm in Silicon Valley, Sequoia Capital. Their resume of successful companies is beyond impressive. They have been able to create and repeat a formula to identify and grow companies.
According to
CrunchBase,
"Sequoia has funded an unprecedented number of enormously successful companies including Google, Yahoo, Paypal, Electronic Arts, NVIDIA, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Apple, YouTube, Admob and Zappos. Sequoia estimates that 14% of the NASDAQ’s value is made up of firms they have funded."
Sequoia Capital was founded in 1972 by
Don Valentine. Don was an original investor in all the companies listed above among the others listed
here. I would love to sit down with him and learn (if any of my readers can make it happen, please let me know).
What strikes me most impressive about Sequoia (besides their track record) is a simple page on their website that breaks down what makes a sustainable company. Here it is:
Elements of Sustainable Companies
Start-ups with these characteristics have the best chance of becoming enduring companies. We like to partner with start-ups that have:
Clarity of Purpose
Summarize the company's business on the back of a business card.
Large Markets
Address existing markets poised for rapid growth or change. A market on the path to a $1B potential allows for error and time for real margins to develop.
Rich Customers
Target customers who will move fast and pay a premium for a unique offering.
Focus
Customers will only buy a simple product with a singular value proposition.
Pain Killers
Pick the one thing that is of burning importance to the customer then delight them with a compelling solution.
Think Differently
Constantly challenge conventional wisdom. Take the contrarian route. Create novel solutions. Outwit the competition.
Team DNA
A company’s DNA is set in the first 90 days. All team members are the smartest or most clever in their domain. "A" level founders attract an "A" level team.
Agility
Stealth and speed will usually help beat-out large companies.
Frugality
Focus spending on what's critical. Spend only on the priorities and maximize profitability.
Inferno
Start with only a little money. It forces discipline and focus. A huge market with customers yearning for a product developed by great engineers requires very little firepower.
There it is; plain and simple. Before you believe the hype of a company, I would encourage you to evaluate the sustainability of an organization based on their criteria. If you want to partner with them, they offer an email to send your ideas and business plans - start@sequoiacap.com. Good luck!
- Bob
Additional Links:
Sequoia Capital on startups and the economic downturn
http://www.slideshare.net/eldon/sequoia-capital-on-startups-and-the-economic-downturn-presentation
