Even though Rock's partnership with Tommy Davis (who went on to launch Mayfield Fund) came at the very beginning of Silicon Valley, many of their covenants and practices became part of the partnership structure that Valley venture capitalists adopted. And although Rock himself confesses that he was never a very astute judge of technology, the people he brought together and the culture he helped influence have created a lasting economic presence in Silicon Valley. ![]() Rock made his first investments at a time when technology wasn't the Wall Street investment choice, a time when it took products and revenues and proven managers to go public. Think of Scientific Data Systems, Teledyne, Intel, and Apple Computer, and Arthur Rock invariably comes to mind.Ī private person, Rock has never been the media-savvy promoter that many venture capitalists have become. The first venture capitalist to grace the cover of Time (January 23, 1984), Rock garners respect among his colleagues and competitors not only because he has made some of the most rewarding investments, but because the companies he has helped finance have come to form the backbone of what is now known as Silicon Valley. If anyone stands out as one of the seminal figures in venture capital, it is Arthur Rock. ![]() ![]() Excerpted from the book Done Deals, edited by Udayan Gupta, Harvard Business School Press
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