The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital: Management Lessons from the Pioneers of Private Investing

by Robert Finkel and David Greising

Book Overview

Ten Leading private investors share theirsecrets to maximum profitability

In The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital, thepioneers of the industry share the investing and managementwisdom they have gained by investing in andtransforming their portfolio companies.

Based on original interviews conducted by the authors, this book is filled with colorful stories on the subjectsthat most matter to the high-level investor,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071624600
• ISBN13: 9780071624602
• Release Date: December 2009
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Unparalleled Look

This is an outstanding book. For anyone interested in the areas of Venture Capital or later stage Private Equity, this book offers an unparalleled opportunity to hear straight from some of the most accomplished pioneers of the industry. The book is very well written and offers a great read. Each chapter brings a new perspective and some terrific stories. Highly recommended.

Apprentice to (ad)venture

Robert Finkel has captured the essence of successful venture capital and private equity masters. Though in the beginning I thought the word "masters" in the title of the book a bit cheesy but as I knew more about venture capital I am convinced that it's a right choice. The challenge with entrepreneurship, investments, or any activity that involves interactions with humans is that its not a precise science. You are judging and betting on people and their dreams, their intentions, and their ability to get things done. Its a tricky business, and a great candidate for apprenticeship model. So although each PE or VC has some similar sets of financial tools, they all have unique personalities, observations, and capacities. So you got to listen to their story in their own words. You got to find out what were they thinking when they did those pioneering deals. In that regard the book does a wonderful job. You can hear the voice of each "master" very clearly. I recommend this book.

Very Insightful Read

The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital provides valuable insights into the key factors well known and highly successful players in the private equity and venture capital space have used to create tremendous value. Read this book to learn the variety of different approaches and tools used by some of the best in the industry. The authors clearly demonstrate it takes more than financial engineering and leverage to create value in today's market. Its never one thing. Intensive due dilligence, proper incentives, exhaustive stress testing, the outsider perspective, the best people and a goal of high returns all help differentiate the top private equity players from average.

Great Collection of Insights

"The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital" is a wonderful read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in the private equity and venture capital industries or in private company investment and management generally. The book is essentially a master class with several accomplished industry veterans presenting lessons learned from years of good and bad experience. Having this wisdom collected in one resource is a great achievement, and the variety of perspectives, points of emphasis in investing and management, and personal anecdotes make the book extremely interesting to read. The book is very well-written, and anyone in the industry would gain from reading it.

Best of its Kind!

I have been a partner in the Venture Capital business my entire career - over twenty years. I have kept a personal list of "lessons learned" from my investment experience; and, I have read many of the books in the category. By far, this is the very best book in all respects. It is extremely well written and easy to read; captures the essence of each "master's" message; and, also captures the essence of the investor's personality (at least those that I know). I think this book is so good it should become a text book in business schools with private equity / venture capital programs. A must read for anyone interested in the "craft" of making successful investments in private companies.