One on One: Fred Wilson, Union Square Ventures

bits.blogs.nytimes.com

38 pointsrokhayakebe4 comments

Wow, that's a pretty rare behind the scenes at someone who is so public, you'd think there wasn't that much that Fred hasn't talked about already.

Didn't know Fred was almost broke before the Geocities sale went through, or that he started in VC at 25 but didn't make any real investments till 30. Perhaps tenacity/persistence is not just a desirable quality for entrepreneurs but for VCs as well...

EDIT: Wonder if he ever thought about giving up and/or trying something else pre-Geocities? and what made him keep going?

That was the most interesting part for me. You would think of FW as someone who has always been successful. He started at 25, but did not make his first investment until 30. Also it took him from 1986 to 1999 to have his first big exit. This goes to show that (unlike what I, and several others think) success takes time.

This is actually the most inspiring part for me. Why we all strive to make it no matter what the cost...

Nick B? Is that you?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com