The Secrets of Sand Hill Road
Author: Scott Kupor
Along with Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, this book is a standout resource for learning about the venture capital financing process. I had a lot of background before I picked this up, given my long-standing interest in the space and personal involvement in a handful of financings. This book helped fill in many gaps in my knowledge.
Specifically, I found it a standout resource for understanding the venture fund’s fundraising process and their typical relationships with institutional limited partners (insurance companies, pension funds, etc. who invest into VC funds). I hadn’t had much exposure to that before.
The book also sheds light on the nuances of VC investor incentives – from timing within a fund’s lifespan to the dynamics within a partnership. Kupor also offers legal case studies of board fiduciary responsibilities to common shareholders, which I found interesting.
For startup founders, he offers a really good long-view analysis of the many challenges that you might encounter during the course of building the business. This manifests into thinking about who you take capital from, how you dole out equity, board seats, and other strategic issues you’re likely to work through.
I would treat this like a textbook and circle back to reference bits and pieces as they become relevant to your journey.