Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives.

Description:  After Sandy Lerner and Len Bosack started Cisco Systems (CSCO) in 1984 to sell routers developed at Stanford, 70 or 80 venture capitalists passed on the company. While many had concerns about the technology, “a number of them said, you’re never going to get funding with me in the mix as a founder,” Lerner told an audience of entrepreneurs and aspiring founders at a Women 2.0 conference in New York today.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: Nov 14, 2012

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-14/sober-advice-for-startups-from-ciscos-co-founder#r=nav-fst

Questions for Discussions:

  • What is the essence of the criticism aimed at venture capital firms?
  • Do you think Sandy Lerner was unfairly treated?
  • What are the risks inherent in following her advice to maintain ownership control?

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