TechFire continues to provide heat to the burgeoning Silicon Beach startup scene with events that showcase successful startup executives and venture capitalists.
Audience members are typically entrepreneurs seeking “how to” advice or funding for their startups.
This Thursday, December 1, from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., Kleiner Perkin’s Eric Feng will speak at Google LA in Venice. Feng is former CTO of Hulu (a joint venture of NBC Universal, News Corp. and The Walt Disney Company) and Flipboard.
Kleiner Perkins is a Sand Hill Road-based venture capital firm.
Feng originally joined Kleiner Perkins in 2010, where working across the sustainability and digital practices and serving as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore.
He rejoined Kleiner Perkins in 2015 and in his capacity as partner focuses on consumer Internet investments and incubations.
Those interested in attending should go to ericfeng.eventbrite.com. Because of Google security, advance RSVPs are required by Wednesday 9:30 am so people can be on the list and security badges prepared.
TechFire recently hosted Mark Terbeek, a VC partner at Greycroft Partners who spoke at WeWork in Playa Vista.
Terbeek said he thought the venture capital market should continue at a fairly robust pace, largely because other investment opportunities don’t look so great these days.
Interest rates are low, and real estate and the stock market are at historic highs, meaning the potential for additional growth might be limited.
While most venture deals fail, he noted, it just takes one mega-success to make all the difference.
Terbeek emphasized the importance of having the right team. Most of the deals he has done (and that he has been most happy with), have involved working with teams where there is chemistry and passion, he said.
Terbeek said Los Angeles entrepreneurs can be very good story-tellers, while Silicon Valley companies are often stronger at data and technology. But story-telling is really important, he continued.
One reason Snapchat’s “Spectacles” (sunglasses with a built-in video camera) will do better than Google’s “Glasses”, according to Terbeek, is that Spectacles are sleek and stylish. Google’s offering, by contrast, “made you look like a cyborg.”
Terbeek’s advice to entrepreneurs seeking capital: Generate traction first. Once that is accomplished, he said, “everything flips in your favor.”
Terbeek was interviewed by Rob Kornegay, a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm that is legendary in the startup community. Patrick Anding of Wilson Sonsini will moderate this Thursday’s discussion with Eric Feng.
Wilson Sonsini’s clients include Twitter, Amazon, LinkedIn, Google, Tesla, Netflix and Pandora. The firm has advised more U.S. companies in their IPOs than any other law firm since 1998.
TechFire, led by startup veteran David Murphy, connects the Silicon Beach community with tech leaders who educate and inspire those creating new companies.
Murphy started his first company while in high school (a company that built a successful chat platform). One of his ventures was backed by Elon Musk and Geocities billionaire David Bohnett.
For more information about TechFire, go to techfire.co.
