Understand and question deeply the root causes - i.e. the "human problems" - behind every technical mishap, else your startup will be hindered in its progress. So advises entrepreneur and author Eric Ries, who suggests a layered analysis of decisions and procedures behind every technical undertaking. Follow up these questions with a proportional investment in human resources to alleviate further technical problems.  

Material science is the basis of all semiconductor technology, says former Intel Chairman of the Board Craig Barrett. And during his 35-year stint with one of technology's most established firms, Barrett has learned that Moore's Law (Intel founder Gordon Moore's prediction that the number of transisters in an integrated circuit will double every 18 months) is still applicable now, 40 years after it was written. And though it will eventually have to change, it will likely remain relevant for another 15 years or more. 

NVIDIA started as the first consumer 3D graphics company in 1993 and met over 200 competitors in a few years, reports its co-founder Jensen Huang. Yet today the company is the only remaining player in that sector, despite the deep pockets and global spread of others who possessed quality talent and technology. Huang attributes a pursuit of insatiable technology, despite the price, that delivered even more than the customer requested or needed, for their decades-long market endurance. 

Steve Jurvetson, the partner and moniker behind VC firm DFJ, discusses in detail Ray Kurzweil's take on Moore's Law, which retroactively looks at the evolution of technology and the economy in terms of the numbers of possible calculations possible for a thousand dollars for the past hundred years. Of interest to the entrepreneur, Jurvetson points out that of global, social, and economic factors over time, there seems to be no coupling with the evolution of technology. Despite a poor economy, recessionary concerns, wars and political unrest, cites Jurvetson, technology continues to evolve at a steady and unstoppable pace.  

Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Ventures argues that there has been a steady dealflow in venture capital from 2002-2004. The software sector is still the big leader, though biotech is catching up. Though she doesn't discuss outsourcing, Winblad emphasizes that a company must consider where they can get the best intellectual capital. Today, company strategy starts globally. She also discusses trends in the software market, including open source material, Moore's Law (storage is free) and Metcalf's Law, and mergers and acquisitions.