When we started Andreessen Horowitz in 2009, the one virtue I knew I wanted in our culture was respect for the entrepreneur. Venture capitalists (VCs) depend on entrepreneurs for their existence, and I wanted our culture to reflect that. The systemic problem was that as entrepreneurs asked venture capitalists for funding, VCs tended to see themselves as in the commanding role. Many carried themselves accordingly. I took a samurai-style approach. First, we defined the virtue thoroughly, taking pains to note what it did not mean: We respect the intense struggle of the entrepreneurial process and
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