Technologies importance in Start ups

Quite an interesting survey....particularly in the context of web2.0 applications.

We contacted about 75 key venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, press and analysts and asked them – with a short survey – what they thought. We got an extremely high response rate; it turned out that almost everybody was interested in the topic, and in sharing their opinion. A number of people commented that the question was provocative to them because no one else seemed to be asking it.

And, as it turned out, nearly everyone was still interested – very much so – in technology as a crucial asset to start-ups. You can look at the data yourself – a summary report can be found here. But let me give you the bottom line: 91% of the respondents believed that unique technology is “usually” to “always” crucial to the success of start-ups. We asked a half-dozen additional questions, trying to ferret out why they thought it was important (for competitive positioning, for higher valuations, etc. etc.) and the report will also tell you that. But that 91% was a surprise, given the vibes I was feeling, and to me, the results were quite pleasing.

I was pleased because we have always felt that unique, cutting-edge technology is a defining characteristic of those companies that truly and dramatically improve our lives in some way, and that such companies usually have the makings of the best, most successful, and most interesting start-ups. Certainly other factors matter – a lot. But technology is at the heart of a start-up company’s leadership. I was also pleased to see – and to be able in turn to share with entrepreneurs and those that make up their ecosystem – that creating new ideas and unique approaches – often from the ground up – continues to matter – very much.

via Venture Blog