SM: Even though you had entered the 50K competition, and had started talking to potential customers, Akamai was not a company yet? TL: We really had no desire to make a company out of our research. We were all academics and we liked writing papers, proving theorems, and giving talks. We were not businessmen in
SM: What are your key investments and the rationale behind making those investments. This will help entrepreneurs understand how you process deals. Do you fund capital-intensive deals? RG: Only if they can demonstrate a good ROI. SM:Do you fund built-to-flip deals? RG: Build to flip is usually not a type we focus on. SM: Do
I had invited Mark Sherman at Battery Ventures to contribute his perspective to the series. Mark has responded via Ramneek Gupta, who wants to focus this interview on investment as it pertains to India, specifically. Battery has a major focus on India right now. SM: Please describe your background, to help entrepreneurs understand your point-of-view.