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  • Secrets of Sand Hill Road – Scott Kupor

    If you’re unfamiliar with venture capital and startup fundraising, Scott Kupor’s book “Secrets of Sand Hill Road” serves as a guide through a complex landscape. Experienced founders who have been through several funding rounds might recognize some ideas, but for newcomers, it offers a wealth of practical and actionable advice. In “Secrets of Sand Hill Road,” Kupor reveals the inner workings of venture capital, sharing insights that even veteran entrepreneurs seldom discuss. Here’s a straightforward summary of why this book is invaluable for first-time founders and startup enthusiasts.

    The book delves deeply into the often-murky world of venture financing. Kupor, managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), exposes how venture capitalists think, operate, and make decisions. He clarifies topics that are rarely explained so clearly, providing founders with a guide to better understand their potential investors.

    From my reading, here are some points I believe will be especially useful and interesting to you:

    1. Understanding the VC Mindset and Fund Economics
      Kupor carefully explains the economics behind a venture capital fund. This covers not only how VCs earn money but also why they make certain decisions. He breaks down concepts like fund size, management fees, carried interest, and the power law distribution of returns. Knowing that VCs rely on big successes to make their funds profitable helps you shape your pitch and grasp their tolerance for risk. This perspective shift can help you align your approach with their objectives.
    2. The Term Sheet Demystified
      For many founders, the term sheet can seem like a complicated legal document full of jargon. Kupor spends considerable time explaining the parts of a term sheet, covering liquidation preferences, anti-dilution clauses, vesting schedules, and board representation. He clarifies what each term means for founders, empowering you to negotiate more confidently and avoid common mistakes. This section alone is worth reading, as it gives you the tools to protect your equity and control.
    3. The Due Diligence Process Explained
      What happens after a VC shows interest? The book thoroughly describes the due diligence process. It’s not just about your financials; VCs will examine your team, market, technology, and customer traction. Kupor provides insights into what VCs seek and how to prepare for this thorough review. Knowing what to expect can reduce stress and improve your chances of securing funding.
    4. Beyond the Money: The Value VCs Bring (and Don’t)
      Kupor offers a realistic view of the value VCs add beyond capital. He discusses how venture firms can help with recruiting, strategic advice, and networking. However, he also stresses that VCs are not operational partners and that founders remain responsible for running the company. This balanced perspective helps founders set realistic expectations and use their investors effectively without relinquishing control.

    Additional reasons that make the book special include its focus on:

    1. Fundraising Psychology
      Beyond the numbers, Kupor highlights the human element: what earns investors’ trust and how to build relationships that last beyond a single investment.
    2. Board Dynamics
      You’ll learn how board meetings actually function, why members vote as they do, and how to prepare for both supportive and challenging discussions.
    3. The Long Game
      The book explores why VCs think in terms of 10-year horizons, helping founders set realistic goals for growth and exit strategies.

    Written clearly and straightforwardly, the book makes complex topics accessible. It serves as a comprehensive playbook that can help you avoid costly errors and greatly improve your chances of obtaining the right funding for your startup.

    “Secrets of Sand Hill Road” is not just about raising money; it’s about understanding the entire venture capital ecosystem from the investor’s viewpoint. It’s an essential resource that equips founders with knowledge to navigate the VC world with confidence and clarity. Overall, it’s an easy and insightful read that prepares you for conversations that could shape your company’s relationship with venture capital.

    Key Quotes to Share
    Here are two quotes I believe you’ll appreciate after reading the book:
    “Fundraising is not a one-time event—it’s the beginning of a long-term partnership.”
    “Your valuation is not just a number; it’s a reflection of what you’re promising to build.”

    So, which part of the VC playbook excites or intimidates you the most? Leave a comment—let’s explore the investor’s mindset together.

  • Dhanda – Shobha Bondre

    This book has been on my to-do list for quite some time, and I needed to complete it earlier since it is part of a trio of books – Paiso, Rokda, and Dhanda. Each book highlights the stories of different entrepreneurs and their experiences within their communities. Paiso centers on the Sindhi community, Rokda on the Baniya community, and Dhandha on the Gujarati community. Together, these are packaged in a collection titled – “The Indian Business.”

    I believe this book is the most readable of the three in the collection. I think it is due to a combination of two factors that enhance the ease of reading: the author’s connection to the context and the quality of the translation. It includes the stories of:

    1. Bhimjibhai Patel
    2. Mohanbhai Patel
    3. Dalpatbhai Patel
    4. Jaydev Patel
    5. Hasu and Hersha Shah

    This is an insightful read for anyone seeking to gain an understanding of the various early challenges faced by the entrepreneurs discussed in the book.

  • The Coming Wave – Mustafa Suleyman & Michael Bhaskar

    I have been keeping an eye on the excitement that has been circulating over the last few years. Observing many friends utilize the tools that have become more accessible, I began to pay closer attention to various concerns that I believed AI tool developers needed to consider thoughtfully. While searching for a book that would provide me with a solid perspective on the issues that were troubling me, my friend Kesava suggested that I read this book.

    This was a fantastic suggestion. In many respects, the various concerns that were troubling me were interconnected and categorized under distinct headings. Some of the topics addressed in the book include the challenge of containment, the significance of incentives, and the difficulties these technologies (the book discusses not only AI but also several other forces with similar traits) present to the concept of a nation-state.

    The book ends with some reflections that Suleyman offers regarding the methods of containment and the importance of being proactively engaged in it.

    I strongly suggest this book to all entrepreneurs or those looking to become entrepreneurs who aim to create in the AI landscape, where it is essential to take a proactive approach in designing AI systems. The book provides valuable guidance on potential steps that these AI teams might take as they develop technology to tackle the challenges they will ultimately face.

  • Shaolin – Bernhard Moestl

    “Shaolin – How to Win Without Fighting” by Bernhard Moestl is the first book I read in 2025. Translated from German by Anya Malhotra, it offers insightful reflections to help readers absorb Bernhard’s key lessons.
    I enjoy Kungfu movies and their philosophy. This book sparked this interest of mine, so I would have rated it highly anyways. However, this book will not disappoint anyone serious about self-improvement and negotiations.

    Bernhard has spent considerable time with the monks and has compiled several of their teachings into a concise book. The reflective exercises included in the chapters have been highly beneficial for me. He presents 13 principles he has learned from the Shaolin monks and articulates why and how these could be exceptionally valuable for anyone. The principles are as follows:

    • The Principle of the Present
    • The Principle of Mindfulness
    • The Principle of Resoluteness
    • The Principle of Detachment
    • The Principle of Calmness
    • The Principle of Slowness
    • The Principle of Imitation
    • The Principle of Opportunity
    • The Principle of Yielding
    • The Principle of Superiority
    • The Principle of Letting Go
    • The Principle of Self-knowledge
    • The Principle of Community

    He articulates these 13 principles effectively, encouraging the reader to understand and appreciate their various facets.

    My appreciation for this book may stem from my passion for strategy and my background as a student in the field. However, this book is also highly recommended for individuals looking to enhance their personal and professional lives. It should be noted that this work stands out in the genre of personal development literature.

  • Habits and Ladders – Rakshatha

    This one is a book I am part of! I had read the earlier drafts of the book and given several strong comments that Rakshatha went back and worked on. So, I must say the book is has improved quite a bit from the early drafts. Getting to see the book become a Bestseller on amazon is definitely the cherry on the cake! Excellent!

    The book is short, and a quick read. I see that she has done quite a bit of her research from several other works that look at habits in people, but I guess there is some bit of original contributions too. I see the research training she has engaged in also stand in good stead here, but I feel there is more she could have done. This is good for a first time author. I am sure as she develop more discipline into this practise we could expect several more insights on the topic of high performance.

    There is definitely a lot more that could have been improved, but this is a good start, given this is the first book. Here are another pointers that possibly could have been better in this version itself. She seems to use her examples or make an imaginative story-line in illustrating the point. Deeper research could have gone into the task – there would have been more variety here. Another treasure trove which she could look for is studying the lives of several influential leaders who are known to be high-performers, and possibly popular. This could help a larger number of readers relate to the examples.

    I am sure there would be more insights she would find as she continues to do a deeper research on the topic of high-performance beyond just habits. Some of these could possibly be examining psychological make up of high-performers, role of adversity and many more. All the best and more power to you.

    Happy Reading!

    You can get your copy here.

  • Book List 2024

    Image of books stacked

    I do not generally go by the latest releases in the bookstore. I instead look for books that align with my interests given the kind of personal learning I may be seeking. This year the flavor in the beginning was towards history, then moved to venture scaling of startups. I also managed to read several quick books that came my way. 

    Here is the list of the books I read in 2024:

    I have linked it to the specific thoughts I had after I read the book in case you are looking for more information on them. 

    The three recommended reads for entrepreneurs from this list, in order of priority, would be: 

    1. The Hard Things about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
    2. The Culture Code
    3. Voltage Effect

    Happy Reading in 2025 too.

  • Against all odds: The IT story of India – Kris Gopalkishnan and others

    I first heard about this book when one of the doctoral program alumna of IIMB, Dayasindhu, shared the book he had written on the WhatsApp group. As someone who is excited by history and likes to read about it, I wanted to get my hands on this as soon as I could. I thought this would have several overlaps with the other book by Kiran Karnik about the NASSCOM, but I was pleasantly surprised there was little to no repetition. 

    The book is written by 3 authors—Kris Gopalkrishnan, N. Dayasindhu, and Krishnan Narayanan. Dyasindhu and Krishnan are founders of the itihaasa Research and Digital, which has been working on the IT history project for quite some time. This book is possibly the most comprehensive story about the evolution of the IT industry in India, right from the import of the systems at various IITs through to the proliferation of the IT companies across many metros. I have read a few books (mostly anecdotal and personal accounts) about the IT history in the country, but this one scores it very high on the documented history. The authors take you on a wonderful journey. 

    If you are looking to learn about the IT industry’s trajectory over the years, This is possibly where you need to start and then fit the other personal narratives into the story. 

    Happy Reading!

  • The Hard thing about hard things – Ben Horowitz

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    Simply an amazing book! If you are the CEO of a startup that is scaling and you are looking for a collection of learnings that could help you develop multiple perspectives about what the options that are available are, this is the book.

    Horowitz talks about several dilemmas that run through the minds of the entrepreneurs. In addition to sharing the personal war stories and several of the other companies that you may have heard about, he gets the challenges to the fore. The issues he talks about cover demoting/firing a friend; using titles and promotions; hiring from a friend’s company; managing personal psychology; hiring the smart people and what to do when they are bad employees; when to sell your company; and many more.

    I have recommended this book to several entrepreneurs who I believe are in the stage of looking if they have some right answers. If you are too, get yourself a copy.

    Happy Reading!

  • Rokda – Nikhil Inamdar

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    Part of “The Indian Business” Box set, ‘Rokda’ focuses on five Baniya businessmen who have disrupted their respective industries. The book sheds light on the story of Emami, Snapdeal, Meru, Hindware, and Bansal classes.

    The book is a light read for the enthusiasts who want to know the stories. Do not expect any deep insight about the community or the style of doing business.

    Happy Reading!

  • Trillon Dollar Coach – Eric Schmidt and others

    I had read about Bill Campbell, who had mentored several Silicon Valley founding teams, and when I learned this book was about him, I could not wait to get it and start reading.

    Quite unlike several other books, where the authors are working closely to put across their ideas, this one was more a tribute to their coach. Eric, along with Jonathan Rosenberg and Anal Eagle, takes you through their experience and the experiences of several others who had benefitted from the coach’s direction in their lives. Filled with several anecdotal stories, this book sheds light on what the authors feel were the key principles with which Coach Campbell operated.

    I find this a lovely read, which I guess I would like to go back to several times over the years to learn how to deal with people.

    Happy Reading!