Something Ventured -- Silicon Valley Podcast

Brad Feld: “Friedrich Nietzsche is the Patron Philosopher of Today’s Entrepreneurs”

Sep 15, 2021

Brad Feld, a renowned venture capitalist and co-founder of Techstars, discusses his latest book, linking Nietzsche's philosophy to entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of free spirits and creativity in business. Feld explores the shifts in social dynamics post-pandemic, highlighting the evolving entrepreneurial landscape. He reflects on personal growth through solitude and nature, suggesting that these experiences can inspire deeper engagement in the entrepreneurial journey. Plus, he advocates for shorter, impactful business books.

56:30

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Intro

00:00 • 5min

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Navigating Social Dynamics and Entrepreneurship Post-Pandemic

04:50 • 17min

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Collaborations and Career Ventures

22:01 • 5min

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Nietzschean Paths: Nature, Philosophy, and Entrepreneurship

27:23 • 16min

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Rethinking Business Books and Publishing Strategies

43:22 • 5min

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Writing with a Beginner's Mind

48:38 • 7min

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Brad Feld’s latest book (with David Jilk) is “Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche (A Book for Disruptors)”. Those familiar with Brad’s “Feld Thoughts” blog, will find the unexpected title – unsurprising.

While reading Nietzsche (um, yes) Brad noted that his favorite personality was a “free spirit: An obsessed individual with a vision of the future and the will to make it so, a rebel who creates the future with childlike enthusiasm.” That, thought Brad, sounded a lot like…an entrepreneur. The book is “a modern Art of War, connecting the dots to our high-tech business environment”. Each short chapter takes a quote from Nietzsche and applies it to an area of entrepreneurship.

Brad Feld has been a famous venture capitalist for a long time. He has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. He currently runs Foundry group, which he co-founded. Before that Brad co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars. Brad is a writer and speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. He’s written a number of books as part of the Startup Revolution series and writes the blogs “Feld Thoughts” and “Venture Deals”.

https://somethingventured.us/

https://feld.com/

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