Silicon Valley Deconstructed With Tom Perkins and Don Valentine | Disrupt SF 2013

Tom Perkins of Kleiner Perkins and Don Valentine of Sequoia Capital discuss the early history of Silicon Valley, investing in ideas vs people, and what makes a good VC with Leena Rao.
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TechCrunch Disrupt is one of the most anticipated technology conferences of the year. From September 7-11, 2013, TechCrunch hosts Disrupt back in San Francisco to reveal an all new slate of outstanding startups, influential speakers, guests and more to the stage.

[@alexwchenpro]

I have to admit I thought this was going to be boring because they look so serious, but man they are super inspiring and humorous. My respect is totally through the roof. Thank you for the great interview I wish there is more :)

[@hexinli]

OMG!! 21:43 The last person you want to hire is the HR person!!! They are the destroyers of companies!! Yes, so incredibly true!!! Said with humor, but deep down, the statement is completely true.

[@boulama]

RIP, Perkins

[@linktrunks]

"Ability and willingness to be different." Don Valentine

[@kakistocracyusa]

Don Valentine is an awesome individual.

[@navinblr12]

godfather

[@caenterprisellc6922]

Wow. I've heard of the name Don Valentino in and around the media for years as well. Atari was my first gaming system as a child. My son love gaming. I agree with building the team after joining a VC. That's why selecting the right firm to present to and join is very important. It's a partnership. Given the model of my business, the problem with the business plan process in my case is that it's always changing. What I have as a business plan so far is already outdated. Thus, I've decided that a strategic outlook and plan is more suitable in my case for now. Kleiner was the first VC company I discovered on my own and that carries weight. I really like both companies of the top 3 and plan to stick with this selection.

[@jerrylee7666]

Don is hilarious

[@paulohero]

Seriously, 20 min only with two guys? It should’ve been 2h at least.

[@musawirmohd6353]

If you’d still wanna listen to don valentine telling biblical stories about sillicon valley for hours,go to stanfords library and look his interviews there.

[@FoundersConnect]

RIP Don Valentine

[@christopherarmstrong2710]

13:00 Tom avoids investing in Harvard B-school and other B-school grads' businesses.
18:20 Atari (one of SC's first investments) founder investment board meetings conducted in Nolan Bushnell's home hottub. This is a world that had a lot of humor involved and opportunities to do things differently.
19:18 "I've always believed that the key to making great investments is to assume that the past is wrong, and to do something that's not part of the past - to do something entirely differently."
20:00 "What was the most outrageous thing that you've ever done?"
20:30 Good VC's have founded companies and been in the trenches. Having been through tough things and solved the problem. Daring and tremendous ambition. The ability and willingness to be DIFFERENT. Great companies are built with DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, with DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
21:50 The last person who founders and entrepreneurs want to hire is the HR person. They're the "destroyers of companies."
22:35 *If you're the CEO, start the company by yourself - don't try to build a complete team first. Because you're not going to get great people to work for a high-risk startup. So get it going **_yourself,_** with the help of a good VC, and **_then_** build your team.*

[@rawwars]

22:00 totally right on hr lol

[@sarthakbiswas2201]

These guys started everything and were alive to see it happen

[@musawirmohd6353]

Both of them are dead

[@erenblackbeard106]

Everyone dies

[@sarthakbiswas2201]

@@musawirmohd6353 try and understand what I'm saying, he saw apple become apple, Google become a verg

[@musawirmohd6353]

@@sarthakbiswas2201 you sir first try to understand what you commented yourself.”are alive to see it happen” it’s a reply to your comment and i think what you dont understand is how to put together a simple declarative sentence.

[@sarthakbiswas2201]

​​@@musawirmohd6353reduce your life to grammar buddy, I'll work on larger things

[@cotedazure]

Don and Tom, looking for more pink unicorns.

[@SamSachedina]

These guys are legends. Literally paved the way for us today. But I can't help but make the comparison: watch?v=f68VXKMZT1Q