David L. Durgin

Entrepreneur to Investor the Hard Way David L. Durgin

Step into the bare-knuckle world of a high-tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist and meet Dave Durgin. Dave evolved from engineer to bootstrap businessman to high-tech entrepreneur in a challenging business environment. The knowledge he shares in this book will be an inspiration to fellow entrepreneurs.

Deal by deal, small investment to large investment, Dave built a successful portfolio as an angel investor and co-founded a successful venture capital firm. In the process, he honed his model of money and mentoring, as he guided startups and their eager but inexperienced founders. Outside his own businesses, he labored with other visionaries to improve the business environment in his state, New Mexico. This book allows you to get inside the head of a successful entrepreneur and investor and understand how he thinks, how he weighs opportunities, how he copes with adversity. He's clear about his values: people count, and friendships come first. There is practical advice on business plans, marketing, hiring, boards, teams, partners and commercialization. His venture evaluation criteria can help investors and allow entrepreneurs to size up their operations before they seek venture capital.

The book also offers a ringside seat in the hidden arena of defense contracting as it expanded during the Cold War. Durgin is frank about why technology transfer, after 30 years, still hasn't lived up to its hype.