New Models for Investing in Innovation

Steve Blank1/13/11Follow @sgblank

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In November 2010 as part of my interview about entrepreneurs and Customer Development, the Shoshin Project also asked me about my thoughts on investing in innovation. They wanted some words of wisdom for their investment bank and hedge fund customers.

This falls into the “Asking someone who was handy versus knowledgeable” category. (I was an entrepreneur who retired at the right time, not a VC or hedge fund manager.) But never one to miss an opportunity when the camera was rolling, I shared my thoughts for five minutes.

Fast forward to today. Given Goldman Sachs’ $500 million investment in Facebook at a $50 billion valuation it appears someone might have been listening (particularly around 2:35 mark in the video—scroll down to view.)

Steve Blank is the co-author of The Startup Owner's Manual and author of the Four Steps to the Epiphany, which details his Customer Development process for minimizing risk and optimizing chances for startup success. A retired serial entrepreneur, Steve teaches at Stanford University Engineering School and at U.C. Berkeley's Haas Business School. He blogs at www.steveblank.com. Follow @sgblank