Week 1 DQ 1 Venture Capital Industry
Explain your interest in the venture capital industry. Are you seeking to participate in the market as an entrepreneur or investor? Are you comfortable with the tremendous uncertainty and volatility that you will experience?
Week 1 DQ 2 Venture Capital Impact on Innovation
Do you think the measures discussed in the assigned reading accurately determine the impact of venture capital on innovation? Why or why not?
Week 2 DQ 1 LPs Versus GPs
Explain the key differences and motivations of Limited Partners (LPs) versus General Partners (GPs). How are their interests aligned?
Week 2 DQ 2 People Versus Technology
What do you consider more important (or to have more merit) in the process of evaluating an investment deal: the technology or the person or people? (See Arthur Rock versus Don Valentine on page 67 in the textbook.)
Week 3 DQ 1 Factors of Valuation
What are the most important factors that influence the valuation of a prospective new venture? Do these factors vary depending on who is doing the analysis (entrepreneur versus investor)? Why is valuing a prospective new venture so hard to do?
Week 3 DQ 2 Deal Structures
How do investors use deal structures to create aligned interests? What is the primary concern or goal that investors are trying to achieve when structuring a deal?
Week 4 DQ 1 Role of the Board
What is the role of the board and board membership in terms of the success of a new venture?
Week 4 DQ 2 Tension
What are some of the tensions that can arise between founders and management and investors when considering an exit? Which exit pathway is preferred by management versus investors? Why?
Week 5 DQ 1 Fund Performance
As an entrepreneur seeking financing, what are the key issues in measuring fund performance, and why is understanding these issues so important?
Week 5 DQ 2 VC Firm Professionals
As your lecture states, the profile of a typical VC investor does not really exist. If you were a principal over an existing venture capital firm, discuss the background (academic, experience) that you would require in order to work at your organization
Week 6 DQ 1 Mid-Sized Funds
Explain why successful mid-sized funds, enabled by their track records of success, go on to raise bigger funds that often experience declining returns (and perhaps disappointment)?
Week 6 DQ 2 Market Peaks
Explain why, during market peaks, investment rates accelerate for GPs and LPs and why GPs are willing to pay higher valuations despite not having any justification for the increased pricing?
Week 7 DQ 1 Business Cycles
As a prospective entrepreneur or venture investment professional (you pick) and based on the extreme events of the past 5 years in conjunction with the highly cyclical nature of the industry, do you see more opportunity for yourself in this market or less? Why? Does your view change if you are asked to consider the United States only versus emerging markets?
Week 7 DQ 2 Asset Classes
Explain why LPs are unlikely to abandon a given asset class, despite an increasing gap between gross and net returns.
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Week 1 DQ 1 Venture Capital Industry
Explain your interest in the venture capital industry. Are you seeking to participate in the market as an entrepreneur or investor? Are you comfortable with the tremendous uncertainty and volatility that you will experience?
Week 1 DQ 2 Venture Capital Impact on Innovation
Do you think the measures discussed in the assigned reading accurately determine the impact of venture capital on innovation? Why or why not?
Week 2 DQ 1 LPs Versus GPs
Explain the key differences and motivations of Limited Partners (LPs) versus General Partners (GPs). How are their interests aligned?
Week 2 DQ 2 People Versus Technology
What do you consider more important (or to have more merit) in the process of evaluating an investment deal: the technology or the person or people? (See Arthur Rock versus Don Valentine on page 67 in the textbook.)
Week 3 DQ 1 Factors of Valuation
What are the most important factors that influence the valuation of a prospective new venture? Do these factors vary depending on who is doing the analysis (entrepreneur versus investor)? Why is valuing a prospective new venture so hard to do?
Week 3 DQ 2 Deal Structures
How do investors use deal structures to create aligned interests? What is the primary concern or goal that investors are trying to achieve when structuring a deal?
Week 4 DQ 1 Role of the Board
What is the role of the board and board membership in terms of the success of a new venture?
Week 4 DQ 2 Tension
What are some of the tensions that can arise between founders and management and investors when considering an exit? Which exit pathway is preferred by management versus investors? Why?
Week 5 DQ 1 Fund Performance
As an entrepreneur seeking financing, what are the key issues in measuring fund performance, and why is understanding these issues so important?
Week 5 DQ 2 VC Firm Professionals
As your lecture states, the profile of a typical VC investor does not really exist. If you were a principal over an existing venture capital firm, discuss the background (academic, experience) that you would require in order to work at your organization
Week 6 DQ 1 Mid-Sized Funds
Explain why successful mid-sized funds, enabled by their track records of success, go on to raise bigger funds that often experience declining returns (and perhaps disappointment)?
Week 6 DQ 2 Market Peaks
Explain why, during market peaks, investment rates accelerate for GPs and LPs and why GPs are willing to pay higher valuations despite not having any justification for the increased pricing?
Week 7 DQ 1 Business Cycles
As a prospective entrepreneur or venture investment professional (you pick) and based on the extreme events of the past 5 years in conjunction with the highly cyclical nature of the industry, do you see more opportunity for yourself in this market or less? Why? Does your view change if you are asked to consider the United States only versus emerging markets?
Week 7 DQ 2 Asset Classes
Explain why LPs are unlikely to abandon a given asset class, despite an increasing gap between gross and net returns.