What Nikola Tesla vs. VCs video says about the state of Silicon Valley

If you want to hear how Tesla, Edison, etc. actually went about funding / building their companies - check out: "American Genesis"<p>It's a history of the human / social part of this period of technology. So interesting to hear about J.P. Morgan essentially angel investing in Edison / Tesla + all the other unknowns like Elmer Sperry, etc.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Genesis-Invention-Technological-Enthusiasm/dp/0226359271/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&#38;ie=UTF8&#38;qid=1369077550&#38;sr=1-1&#38;keywords=american+genesis" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/American-Genesis-Invention-Technologic...</a>

<i>They’re all looking for the next Facebook or the next Twitter, but no one wants to look for the next Juniper or the next Intel or even the next ARM.</i><p>The author didn't substantiate this claim. The only actual example he came with was the Tesla hypothetical. I'm sure it is true that there is a lot of money chasing easy short term ideas right now, but his only real world example of clean tech shows there is money out there for big ideas. Even bad big ideas. I'd like this article if it were actually about some companies with big ideas who needed money and couldn't get it.

The internet and mobile have created opportunities to make large amounts of money faster than ever. You can't blame the VCs for choosing a quick billion vs a slow billion. Along the same lines, the referenced VC deals of the past (Khosla + Juniper) were not comparing those opportunities with the hyper growth startups that we see today.

You change tack not tact although maybe some companies should change both

This begs the question, how did Tesla actually do it? Ultimately he was driven by the inventions themselves, not the business models. This was his genius and his failure.<p>Licensing the patents worked but it's also worth looking at Tesla's relationship with George Westinghouse who became a patron more than an investor.<p>What's the avenue for a Nikola Tesla today?

If you're wondering, here is the kickstarter to the video. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dorrian/a-statue-of-nikola-tesla-in-the-silicon-valley" rel="nofollow">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dorrian/a-statue-of-niko...</a>

62% unrelated: Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Edison (Epic Rap Battes of History):<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ1Mz7kGVf0" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ1Mz7kGVf0</a>

Venture capitalists these days go on social proof largely because of their career incentives. You don't "make it" as a VC unless you get into a black albatross deal early, and there's one of those per decade. That's why all the horrible note-sharing and co-funding goes on. All the VC resources are chasing the career needs of the agents, not maximizing return on investment (which is impossible to predict anyway).<p>Someone is going to win big by working with the mid-risk/mid-growth "lifestyle" businesses (that currently make most of their money consulting) but it's not going to happen in VC-istan, nor will it be in Silicon Valley or New York. Boston has a shot; I'd also say Austin, Seattle and Chicago are in the running.