A few years ago a venture capital firm hired me to help one of its start-ups negotiate a critical deal. I expected the VC partner who was on the start-up’s board to be deeply involved in the strategic discussions. But the VC in question—ordinarily a hands-on dealmaker—was conspicuously uninvolved. His advice and support would have been useful to the founders, especially with respect to opening doors with governments and potential partners overseas, so one day I asked him about his seeming lack of interest.
Image: PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND GOW LANGSFORD GALLERY ARTWORK: SARA HUGHES, UNITED WE FALL, 2008, VINYL INSTALLATION FOR THE STAIRS AND LOBBY, CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY TE PUNA O WAIWHETU, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
