First, let me give you a weather report update. The sun has been shining on and off in the past couple of days. But it still rains quite a fair bit especially in the afternoon. So I managed to sneak a jog in on Sunday morning. My knee still freakin feels like it needs to be replaced and my joints need to hotsync'ed.
In the past couple of days, I've picked up a book which I bought like ages ago but never got around to reading. No its not Harry Potter or the DaVinci Code. It's quite a inane topic called "Smart Ventures" by Katharine Campbell, published by FT Prentice Hall.
I've always wanted to get into the venture business and lately, there have been soft-offers to join a start-up either as a CEO or someone looking after the equity fund-raising of the newco.
Which brings me to another small rant:
Most VCs in the US have done their time (on in Singapore - their national service) as an entrepreneur. This is possibly limited to the more successful ones. The less successful ones continue to be bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and start another company once the last one bites the dust. Some of the successful ones also continue to be entrepreneur because it is what they like.
Anyways, in Singapore, the picture is quite the reverse (from my own myopic view of the Singapore venture industry). Many of the VCs have themselves not been an entrepreneurs, and most of the successful angels made their money through the old style (ie climbing the corporate ladder and getting generous stock options or through trading), therefore possibly not in the best position to call the kettle black, especially if you have not been on the other side.
Now, this is not to say these VCs aren't good enough. Contrary, I think a lot of them are pretty good and they've managed to short-circuit the system a bit, but largely, I think the missing element in it is experiencing the entrepreneurial route would make them be better VCs as they would be able to speak as-a-matter-of-fact-ly that they've been through this start-up process. Otherwise, it just wouldn't hold water.
So I stand in the crossroads of my working llife again:
a) should I continue to pursue opportunities in an established company, and keep the security?
b) or to go with a start-up and learn the ropes (most likely not as a CEO, although I like to entertain that idea a bit more)
c) or to try my luck and get into the VC business?
In the meantime, will try to complete the book! That much is for sure.
technorati tags: venture, entrepreneurship, VC, book, thoughts, singapore, career
