Case Analysis Study Guide Remember, spend more time thinking than reading! This study guide is not intended to be a substitute for good judgment or independent thinking. Rather, it is tool to help develop your own thoughts about the situation and what you would do in various business situations. Each step includes space you can use to "check" it complete. The times indicated in each phase are estimates. You may find yourself taking more or less time depending on the case. use the question below to help as you prepare to discuss a case or write case-based essay. You can take notes within this document, on a notepad, or any other medium that is comfortable for you. Situ*on Analysis (S minutes) X X x Step I. Read the first and last sections of the case. Stop reading and proceed to step 2. Step 2. Set the case aside and answer the following questions for nurself_ Remember to think! What type of case is this? (problem, decision, evaluation. rules) What frameworks or criteria might apply? (Did the instructor provide any supplemental reading with possible frameworks?) What hints about causes, criteria, decision or evaluation did see? Are the hints reliable or are they there to throw you off? Step 3. What is the situation? Summarize below. Include responses to the questions above if appropriate. The situation is two partners recognize that the VC environment is not what one would call welcoming and that if they are able to make a change to the way business is run in this culture, not only could there be a lot of money to be made, but good companies good become a reality and many people could have success. Questions (IS minutes) x Step 4. Ask yourself, "What do I need to know about the situation?" Include the questions your instructor assigned, but go well beyond that by referring to the "Helpful questions" section of this document. List your responses here. Was venture capital an attractive industry to enter in 2009? What entrepreneurial opportunity did Andreessen and Horowitz In 2009, the market was not welcoming for a new VC organization. There was almost nmnopoly by the top 3% and it could appear to be very grim. Luckily, they saw that a pixnt in the way a VC is run, could have a dramatic change in the way success could be had. "To succeed as a VC, you have to do three things really well: source, pick, and win" (case, p.8). What does a traditional VC firm do to source, pick, and win? How does a16z approach these key success factors differently than other VC firms? Traditionally VC is almost like a oys club where everyone is so desperate to get in, when you get in, get treated like the newbie who should be so happy to be in the presence of VC_ At alz, it was the exact opposite, they sought you out, treated like a king and took care of you, in a way that would help grow, all along the way_ If Y'u were a first-time founder of a tech startup seeking Series A investors, would you find a16z's value proposition