Venturesome Capital

Abstract

Most entrepreneurs struggle to access the capital needed to start and grow a business for one simple reason: the vast majority of new businesses fail, delivering little or no return to those who put up the money. Ideas that appeared so exciting on paper and that are brought to life by entrepreneurs who are seemingly destined for success end up in disappointment, with misery and financial loss for those who took the upfront risk. However, nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to get established and even more money to finance a rapid growth trajectory. The funds to start and grow a business often come from personal savings, friends, family, and support from customers and suppliers. Entrepreneurs usually find that these sources of funds have a low effective cost of capital in terms of dilution, though there is clearly some added pain if your father-in-law loses money if your new venture fails.

The entrepreneur and the financier are the interdependent wheels turning innovation forward.

—Joseph Schumpeter