"venture capital reminds me so much of the mentality and practice I saw in my years on Wall Street.  That is, the name of the game is to produce a large return for the investors in the shortest amount of time possible.  The definition of success is focused on making money and not always on establishing independent, ongoing and sustainable businesses.   I completely understand this given that I have invested in early stage companies before.  There is a natural tension between building a viable business and having to produce a return for investors. That can, at times, lead a founder to make decisions that they might not make when considering the long-term.  This reminds me of public companies focusing on quarterly earnings rather than building a long-term strategy with higher payoffs down the road."