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Ilya Strebulaev
Professor at Stanford | Bestselling Author | Innovation | Venture Capital & Private Equity
Ilya Strebulaev is a prominent finance professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the co-author of the upcoming book "The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth".123
Key points about Ilya Strebulaev:
Professional Background
- Professor of Finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business14
- Founder of the Venture Capital Initiative at Stanford4
- Considered the foremost academic expert on venture capital2
Research and Expertise
- Has devoted two decades to studying venture capitalists' approaches to decision-making12
- Research focuses on venture capital, corporate innovation, and startup financing4
- Work has been featured in major publications like Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Harvard Business Review2
"The Venture Mindset" Book
- Co-authored with Alex Dang, a technology executive and former McKinsey partner12
- Presents nine principles derived from venture capital practices to help make better business decisions123
- Aims to teach readers how to adapt to rapid change, make smarter bets, and transform organizations12
Teaching and Consulting
- Teaches a popular class on venture capital at Stanford2
- Leads workshops and executive sessions for senior business and government leaders worldwide2
- Consults for companies and investors on venture industry trends and corporate innovation2
Strebulaev's work bridges academic research with practical business applications, focusing on how venture capital principles can be applied broadly to improve decision-making and drive innovation in various industries.123
Highlights
IT and Healthcare unicorns show some intriguing differences in terms of valuations.
Can you guess which companies raise more funds before reaching unicorn status? Let’s see what you think! I will post our findings tomorrow.
What helps venture capitalists and entrepreneurs win big? Betting against the consensus: finding a promising opportunity that others did not notice — or brushed off.
Take AirBnb for example: they have initially been unsuccessful with investors and even had to sell election-themed cereals called "Obama O's" and "Cap'n McCains” to make ends meet. This creative approach has impressed Paul Graham, and he selected AirBnb (called Airbed & Breakfast back then) for YCombinator — despite being skeptical about their business model. In several years, AirBnb has had millions of bookings and became a unicorn despite the initial struggles.
But is it worth taking a risk and betting on a promising underdog? Can’t you just bet on everyone’s favorite? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work this way: if you bet in consensus with everyone else, you won’t be winning much — as we explained in the graphics below.
And if you’d like to learn more about the rules for making better decisions and maximizing chances of success, I’ve attached the link for the full version of the Venture Mindset book, authored by me and Alex Dang.
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