A Whirlwind Interview with Timothy Draper

You have heard about Tim Draper, founder of the global venture capital firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and how he has charmed and inspired all the young entrepreneurs here during our last encounter at Hogs Breath Cafe. Now, we have the man himself for a quick whirlwind interview about his thoughts on entrepreneurs, second chances and upcoming trends.

SGE: Many call you a thought leader, pray tell, do you agree with this term and how has this ability (assuming that you agree) contributed to your success?
Tim: I am on a mission to spread entrepreneurship around the world, so as it happens, I guess I lead the thought.

SGE: What are the first few things that help you to rule out that this startup is worth investing?
Tim: If the market size is not big enough for us, we can’t justify investing, even if the company will probably succeed.

SGE: What do you think has enabled yourself and/or DFJ to be able to choose great investments like Hotmail and Skype?
Tim: We are willing to take risks on novel ideas. Skype was something I hunted down because I liked the peer to peer technology so much. Both companies had great entrepreneurs attached to them.

SGE: Do you have any analytic process that you consciously or subconsciously undergo in examining what will work and what won’t?
Tim: My team does a great job at analyzing businesses, industries and markets. I tend to be more intuitive and focus on the people and their motives and incentives.

SGE: Do you give people second chances?
Tim: Of course. Businesses improve with age. We often keep tabs on companies when we sense that there is great potential there.

SGE: DFJ is now worldwide, how difficult was it to bring your firm worldwide?
Tim: Yes. It is exciting. I believe that we are the only venture capital firm with a billion dollar exit in each continent. It is a lot of miles, but so rewarding in so many ways to spread entrepreneurship and venture capital around the world.

SGE: If a young entrepreneur were to seek your advice, what are the three important lessons that you will preach to him/her?
Tim: Work hard. Meet lots of people. Always think about what you can do for other people.

SGE: What do you think are the next trends? Be it 5, 10, or even 50 years down the road?
Tim: Other than the continual reinventing of the internet through social networking, “Kyte-ing”, instant messageing, Skype add-ons, video on demand, video teleconferencing, etc….

I like electric cars. Tesla and Reva are leading the charge there.

I also like anything new that an entrepreneur comes up with that will have a major impact on the way we do something.

SGE: Tim, thank you once again for this interview. We wish you all the best and look forward to see you in Singapore again.

Related Links:
Tim of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, in Singapore! by whysgentrepreneurssuck
Thimerosa wrote about her thoughts on the event.
Tim Draper in Singapore by Mike Lim, Cogito ergo sum.
Tim Draper not only funds, he sings too! by Entrepreneur27
The Dancing Tim by Justin Lee
Tim Draper — My IDOL! :) *swoon* by The Digital Movement

Related posts:

1. An Evening with Timothy Draper, Venture Capitalist from Draper Fisher Jurvetson