Fundamentals of Venture Capital
Author: Joseph W. Bartlett
List Price: $24.95
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ISBN: 1568331266
Publisher: Madison Books (August, 1999)
Sales Rank: 32,832
Average Customer Rating: 3.7 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
A wealth of practical info on VC but difficult to read
This is a very practical book, delving deep into the issues around the process of raising VC financing. But it probably has a wrong title- this is not exaclty 'fundamentals of venture capital' that the author is discussing (maybe for the author with his 35 years experience in this industry it seems so). The author goes much further than simply explain the basic things- he describes a lot of issues that are not trivial. This actually makes the book very valuable, in that it is not of the 'Idiot's guide to..' variety. However, it would have been even more valuable had the author described the nature of the issues in more detail. The book is very short (120 pages), and it seems way too little to describe the nature of the issues raised there, which makes it difficult to understand them.Another drawback of the book is its language- I feel that many things could have been explained in plain English, and this is not a small issue. Some parts of the book are simply impossible to read. I understand that after being a partner in a law firm for many years it's difficult not to use obsure words that can only be found in legal texts, but anyway, this definitely detracts much from the value of the book. The author could have better adhered to the KISS principle ('keep it simple stupid') that he himself mentioned in the book. But again, I'm not a native speaker, so I may be wrong.
A good thing about the book is that it is written with humor and sometimes even sarcasm, which makes it interesting to read for someone who appreciates dry wit.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Not worth the money
Fundamentals claims that it is easy to read - in layman's language- but that couldn't be further from the truth. I am a law student with several years of business experience and I've taken courses on Corporations and Securities Regulation. I bought this book because of my interest in learning about Venture Capital from a lawyer's perspective. Even for me this book was way too complex. The book's chapters and subheadings give the appearance of structure, but the substance is distorted. The author assumes you have a great deal of understanding about these issues already. Unless you already thoroughly understand such concepts as Securities Registration, Corporate Taxation, and Corporate Organization; and unless you have a fundamental knowledge of such terms as IRS code Section 83, SEC Reg D, Form S-8, Rule 10b5, first refusal option, Reg S-X, leveraged buyout, and best efforts underwriting, you will be left with more questions than answers. You won't learn what those things mean from this book, you'll have to find them somewhere else, yet they are essential to understand what he is talking about. The author gives a comprehensive overview of the whole process but will leave the "layman" lost in the effort.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Basics to Venture Capital - The Legal Side of Things
Bartlett writes an informative book to those unfamiliar to the details to deal structuring, particularly with the documentation side. This book is truly for the novice who is unfamiliar with business and legal concepts. Those with a business or corporate law background may see this book as a "nice" reference source. If purchased, it's likely to be unused. Individuals who wish to know the legal side of basic business structures, term sheets, business plans, and such would find the book resourceful. Though it's only 157 pages, it provides a foundation to the non-business professional.
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