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The VC Field Guide: Fundamentals of Venture Capital
The Venture Capital Investment Framework
Venture capital is the economic engine that drives entrepreneurship and innovation through capital investments, board membership, advice, introductions to relevant employees, and customers. Despite the outsized importance of venture capital, the inner workings remain hidden. Venture is still a mentor-led industry and it is an industry where you have to do a lot of self-education—you have to learn by doing, and you have to get up to speed quickly.
Until now.
Author William Lin spent over a decade in venture capital, starting in an entry-level position, helping to start a leading VC firm from scratch, and eventually becoming Managing Partner. In The VC Field Fundamentals of Venture Capital, Lin shares his unique framework, the Venture Capital Investment Framework, to help any venture capitalist, entrepreneur, or investor make better investment decisions, quicker. He delivers an incisive and practical handbook for the world of venture capital. You’ll learn about the industry, how to break into it, and discover the art of investing in startups, and more,
How VC deals are analyzed, vetted, and made Which questions experienced and successful venture capital investors ask startup founders when making investment decisions, and why those questions matter The venture capital mindset that dominates the thinking of the most prominent venture capital investors The best ways to begin a career in venture capital and tips on advancing your career Key differences between multi-stage and boutique firms and what it means for entrepreneurs The different factors VCs use to evaluate early-stage versus late-stage companiesIf you want to be close to company creation and innovation as a venture capitalist, investor, or entrepreneur, this book is for you. If you want to be involved in situations that impact economic growth, innovation, and the founders, employees, vendors, and communities that support the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, this book is for you. The VC Field Guide is not only a primer on the inner workings of the venture capital industry, but a timely framework for how investment decisions are made. Anyone who wants to better understand how venture capital investments are made, and why will find this book helpful.
Venture capital is the economic engine that drives entrepreneurship and innovation through capital investments, board membership, advice, introductions to relevant employees, and customers. Despite the outsized importance of venture capital, the inner workings remain hidden. Venture is still a mentor-led industry and it is an industry where you have to do a lot of self-education—you have to learn by doing, and you have to get up to speed quickly.
Until now.
Author William Lin spent over a decade in venture capital, starting in an entry-level position, helping to start a leading VC firm from scratch, and eventually becoming Managing Partner. In The VC Field Fundamentals of Venture Capital, Lin shares his unique framework, the Venture Capital Investment Framework, to help any venture capitalist, entrepreneur, or investor make better investment decisions, quicker. He delivers an incisive and practical handbook for the world of venture capital. You’ll learn about the industry, how to break into it, and discover the art of investing in startups, and more,
How VC deals are analyzed, vetted, and made Which questions experienced and successful venture capital investors ask startup founders when making investment decisions, and why those questions matter The venture capital mindset that dominates the thinking of the most prominent venture capital investors The best ways to begin a career in venture capital and tips on advancing your career Key differences between multi-stage and boutique firms and what it means for entrepreneurs The different factors VCs use to evaluate early-stage versus late-stage companiesIf you want to be close to company creation and innovation as a venture capitalist, investor, or entrepreneur, this book is for you. If you want to be involved in situations that impact economic growth, innovation, and the founders, employees, vendors, and communities that support the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, this book is for you. The VC Field Guide is not only a primer on the inner workings of the venture capital industry, but a timely framework for how investment decisions are made. Anyone who wants to better understand how venture capital investments are made, and why will find this book helpful.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 13, 2025
*“The VC Field Guide”*, escrito por William Lin, oferece um olhar sobre o funcionamento interno do universo de Venture Capital. Lin, um investidor experiente e parceiro em uma renomada firma de VC, compartilha uma visão prática baseada em anos de atuação no mercado. Publicado em um momento de transformações significativas no ecossistema de startups, o livro aborda o aumento da concorrência entre fundos, a crescente sofisticação das teses de investimento e as demandas por retornos mais previsíveis em um cenário global de maior instabilidade econômica. É um manual tanto para investidores iniciantes quanto para aqueles que desejam refinar sua abordagem.
Entre os principais insights, o autor introduz um framework para análise de deals que busca responder as perguntas de “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How”, o que significaria avaliar em uma startup “Team, Problem, Timing, Market, Solution, Scale”. Esse método estruturado se destaca pela clareza e pode ajudar tanto VCs quanto empreendedores a entenderem o que realmente faz uma oportunidade de investimento valer a pena. Além disso, Lin argumenta que a especialização em setores específicos — como saúde, fintech ou inteligência artificial — permite que os VCs desenvolvam expertise técnica e redes de contatos mais robustas, o que aumenta significativamente suas chances de sucesso. Esse ponto é especialmente relevante no contexto atual, onde a diversificação indiscriminada pode diluir o impacto de um fundo.
No geral, *“The VC Field Guide”* é uma leitura interessante , especialmente para quem está no início da sua jornada no mercado de startups e Venture Capital.
Entre os principais insights, o autor introduz um framework para análise de deals que busca responder as perguntas de “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How”, o que significaria avaliar em uma startup “Team, Problem, Timing, Market, Solution, Scale”. Esse método estruturado se destaca pela clareza e pode ajudar tanto VCs quanto empreendedores a entenderem o que realmente faz uma oportunidade de investimento valer a pena. Além disso, Lin argumenta que a especialização em setores específicos — como saúde, fintech ou inteligência artificial — permite que os VCs desenvolvam expertise técnica e redes de contatos mais robustas, o que aumenta significativamente suas chances de sucesso. Esse ponto é especialmente relevante no contexto atual, onde a diversificação indiscriminada pode diluir o impacto de um fundo.
No geral, *“The VC Field Guide”* é uma leitura interessante , especialmente para quem está no início da sua jornada no mercado de startups e Venture Capital.
June 6, 2023
If you want to be a Venture capitalist, you should read this book asap.
This book teaches us how to use Venture Capital Frame Work（VCIF）.
It helps VCs to make decisions, how to communicate with entrepreneurs in the meeting more practically.
I’m a Japanese Venture Capitalist, and I moved Bay Area last month. I had the experience of investing in Japanese seed-stage startups over 20, as a venture capitalist for 6 years.
Meeting with local entrepreneurs, I feel a kind of difference of nuance against something to explain my thought. It might be a lack of knowledge of English expertise in detail. it is difficult to change words in my head into English especially.
I happen to meet this book in a local bookstore luckily. And I’ve learned the essentials of communicating with entrepreneurs after reading this book.
Thanks to the Author: William Lin. I can learn the fundamentals of venture capital.
Of course, I've been thinking it to be difficult to invest in U.S. startups without local experience. Cause it is different from Japan’s situation of investing. But I hope my work is well in the U.S. and get through the tough time someday.
I’d like to meet this author and ask him to become a mentor in the U.S. for me. It is harder than I think
This book teaches us how to use Venture Capital Frame Work（VCIF）.
It helps VCs to make decisions, how to communicate with entrepreneurs in the meeting more practically.
I’m a Japanese Venture Capitalist, and I moved Bay Area last month. I had the experience of investing in Japanese seed-stage startups over 20, as a venture capitalist for 6 years.
Meeting with local entrepreneurs, I feel a kind of difference of nuance against something to explain my thought. It might be a lack of knowledge of English expertise in detail. it is difficult to change words in my head into English especially.
I happen to meet this book in a local bookstore luckily. And I’ve learned the essentials of communicating with entrepreneurs after reading this book.
Thanks to the Author: William Lin. I can learn the fundamentals of venture capital.
Of course, I've been thinking it to be difficult to invest in U.S. startups without local experience. Cause it is different from Japan’s situation of investing. But I hope my work is well in the U.S. and get through the tough time someday.
I’d like to meet this author and ask him to become a mentor in the U.S. for me. It is harder than I think
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews