Software Venture Capital Best Practices is an authoritative, insider s perspective on the ins and outs of the software industry for VCs, entrepreneurs, and industry executives. Featuring partners and directors at top VC firms and CEOs of funded software companies, these experts provide best practices for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs at all stages of an investment with a focus on raising capital, establishing valuations, determining exit strategies, and structuring deals. From spotting opportunities in the industry to developing a solid leadership plan, these industry leaders discuss characteristics that make a good partner, key tools and methods for determining valuations, strategies for conducting due diligence, and negotiation techniques to produce a successful deal. These seasoned experts reveal their advice for increasing fundraising, assessing potential ROI, evaluating the timeline of a deal, and understanding management team criteria, as well as provide insights for hedging risks and avoiding common mistakes. Additionally, the authors offer strategies for developing a company vision, raising a second round of funding, and achieving long-term success in the industry. The different niches presented and the breadth of perspectives represented enable readers to get inside some of leading minds of today, as these insiders offer up their thoughts around the keys to successful deal making in this rapidly evolving industry. Inside the Minds provides readers with proven business intelligence from C-Level executives (Chairman, CEO, CFO, CMO, Partner) from the world s most respected companies nationwide, rather than third-party accounts from unknown authors and analysts. Each chapter is comparable to an essay/thought leadership piece and is a future-oriented look at where an industry, profession, or topic is headed and the most important issues for the future. Through an exhaustive selection process, each author was hand-picked by the Inside the Minds editorial board to author a chapter for this book. Chapters Include: 1. Mark McClain, CEO and Founder, SailPoint Technologies Inc. - "Intertwining Growth Strategy with Venture Funding" 2. Jeffrey A. Max, CEO, Venda Inc. - "The Importance of Focus in a Venture-Backed Company" 3. Thomas F. Kelly, Chairman and CEO, MontaVista Software Inc. - "A Personal Vision for Growth: The Value of Venture Capital" 4. Dan McKinney, Managing Partner, NextStage Capital - "Value Creation and the Early Stage" 5. Raj L. Gollamudi, General Partner, BlueStream Ventures - "Investing in the New Software Landscape" 6. Jennifer Scholze, Investment Partner, SAP Ventures - "How and Why to Work with a Corporate Venture Capital Partner" 7. Brian Zanghi, President and CEO, Kadient Inc. - "The Role of Venture Capital in Transforming Your Business"