Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Randy Komisar joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as a partner in 2005. Several years prior, Komisar partnered with entrepreneurs creating businesses with leading edge technologies.
He was a co-founder of Claris Corporation, he served as CEO for LucasArts Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics, and he's acted as a "virtual CEO" for such companies as WebTV, Mirra, and GlobalGiving. He was a founding Director of TiVo where he remains current chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Earlier, Komisar served as CFO of GO Corporation and as Senior Counsel for Apple Computer, following a private practice in technology law.
Komisar holds a BA in Economics from Brown University and a JD from Harvard Law School. He is a Consulting Professor of Entrepreneurship at Stanford University and author of the best-selling book The Monk and the Riddle, as well as several articles on leadership and entrepreneurship. His most recent book with co-author John Mullins is Getting to Plan B.
Related Links: www.kpcb.com
Last Updated: Thu, Apr 8, 2010
While Plan A may begin the backbone on which an entrepreneurial idea is hinged, succinct data gathering and constant market evaluation more often lead to profit with the next idea in line. The tech sector breeds innovation, says KPCB partner and frequent speaker Randy Komisar, and to do so it is required to accept the numerous fits and starts of the start-up. 
Randy Komisar of KPCB and Debra Dunn, previously of HP, discuss entrepreneurship during the Entrepreneurial Thought Leader lecture series.
While Plan A may begin the backbone on which an entrepreneurial idea is hinged, succinct data gathering and constant market evaluation more often lead to profit with the next idea in line. The tech sector breeds innovation, says KPCB partner and frequent speaker Randy Komisar, and to do so it is required to accept the numerous fits and starts of the start-up. 
Can one truly develop a business plan before having a product or a customer in-hand? Not very successfully, contends KPCB partner Randy Komisar. In this clip, Komisar discusses the premise for his book, "Getting to Plan B", in which he points out how often the theory of a start-up succumbs to its execution. Komisar goes on to point out that thinking of Plan B as part of the process can change the way we think about constructing and managing the start-up.
Though Randy Komisar, KPCB partner and seasoned entrepreneur, proposes that most successful ventures do not find success in their initial business idea, he still maintains there is value in constructing a thoughtful initial plan. Any "Plan A" must flesh out your business' assumptions, challenges, and risk mitigation. Those critical first thoughts on paper help the entrepreneur to create a language with which to discuss their strategy and move forward.
"Because they can make the dog jump, [entrepreneurs] somehow assume that everyone wants a jumping dog," says KPCB partner Randy Komisar. His point? Too often, start-ups launch a solution without thinking through the problem that it solves. Without necessitating spending a nickel, an entrepreneur's first step should be plotting how the market has evolved to allow for a next-step product or service. As an example, he cites Apple's launch of the iPod on the backs of the Sony Walkman and Napster. Nothing is unique or truly inventive, says Komisar. The trick is finding the worn path that will allow your venture to dig in its heels.
Don't avoid taking a leap of faith, says partner at KPCB Randy Komisar, but be certain to correctly define it. What's key in successfully making the jump is that it prioritizes three questions you're forced to answer, providing extreme market and product focus. The result will either flatten your idea or make your business soar.
Randy Komisar, a partner with VC firm KPCB, opines on the most recent trends for investment as of Spring of 2010. He points out that the consumer internet is a difficult business to gauge, and gives that sector a yellow light. However, he gives a green light to green and sustainable ventures, noting that they have the potential to build a tremendous asset in legacy businesses. Komisar is also a fan of substantial and "unsexy" tools for consumers, such as patents and home equity protection applications, as they, too, are a large growth area currently attractive to the VC set.
A specialist in early-stage ventures, Randy Komisar of KPCB describes a typical work day for himself, and offers insight into they type of contact he likes to keep with his vested interests. Of the ten CEO's he works with in a cycle, a usual day will start by touching base with three or four of them. He spends some time reviewing new potential projects; checking references, etc. And he notes that he spends a tremendous amount of time reading up on various market sectors and verticals.
Innovation is not a monopoly of Silicon Valley, says venture capitalist Randy Komisar. But entrepreneurship as a profession, he notes, is practiced best on KPCB's home turf. Here, failure isn't personal, and it is tolerated for approximately 70 percent of the businesses that launch here. The Valley offers a unique understanding that Plan A is often flawed and that failure is a necessity for true innovation, and thus it offers the space for smart and inventive people to reassess and move on to the next venture. This key difference that has evolved over the past 70 years, says Komisar, is what has made Silicon Valley thrive.
In conversation with Stanford's Tina Seelig, KPCB's Randy Komisar points out that while customer feedback is a good idea, it should not be the de facto driver for products and solutions. Too often, consumers miss the mark on inventions (such as ATM's and mobile phones) because they can't conceive that they would ever need them. The smart entrepreneur, says Komisar, asks questions to determine if there is a market need, rather than testing a first-to-market product itself.
The early days of the Web were focused around email and one-on-one communication. The Web then evolved into a valuable resource for information. Later, it became a media hub, and today it runs on social networking powered by people. In this thoughtful clip, KPCB's Randy Komisar ponders not only the evolution of Internet content and the types of businesses that it spurs, but questions the Web's next great phase. In his crystal ball, tools that help users make sense of the myriad content available - and tools that help alleviate our need to pay attention - will be the next almighty miracle of digital life.
Randy Komisar, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and author of the best-selling book The Monk and the Riddle, talks about how innovation occurs at Kleiner Perkins. Instead of giving projects a thumbs up or thumbs down, the firm uses a set of filters to review and improve these projects. Through this process of iteration, innovation and problem solving occurs between investors and entrepreneurs, he notes. 
Komisar explains how the original TiVO concept went through multiple transformations. Originally, the TiVO entrepreneurs wanted to create a stand-alone VCR box that would be sold by large retailers. Over time and with the guidance of Komisar, the entrepreneurs realized it would make better sense to offer TiVo as a service instead of a hardware product with low-margins. 
Komisar relates some of the advice that George Lucas, acclaimed director of the Star Wars series, gave him in order to create compelling and visionary ideas: It is difficult to paint on a blank canvas, but it is easier to do so when there are few dots already splashed on. The notion of innovating around inchoate concepts are applicable to the entrepreneurship business, Komisar notes. 
Komisar warns against the concept of a deferred life plan, when people put off what they really want to do for what is expected of them. According to Komisar, this is when you are deferring your sense of excitement and passion for what you really care about. Working hard is not inconsistent with the deferred life plan, he adds, but doing so for a product that you do not have interest in is. 
According to Komisar, most entrepreneurship in the world is not mission-driven, but inspired by necessity. In many economies, entrepreneurship provides a surrogate notion of empowerment and democracy. He also explains what makes the entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley so unique. 
Komisar talks about two failures he has faced throughout his career and the lessons he learned from them. The first was a company called GO Corporation, which failed after four years due to bad technology and planning. The second occurred when Komisar left LucasArts Entertainment prematurely to join another company called Crystal Dynamics. He was unhappy about the move and had no passion for its products. 
Komisar believes there is evidence of new bubbles occurring in certain industries today, specifically in Web 2.0. The good news is that there are also many other industries, such as those in energy, life sciences, and healthcare, where bubbles are absent. He also gives advice on whether companies should seek institutional financing or professional investments. 
Komisar talks about what he looks forward to in his career and life. He advises others who are unsure about the future to find ways to optimize their situation, the people they work with, and the flow of available opportunities. He also notes that the notion of being in motion is an important aspect of who he is and what he enjoys doing.