Watch Something Ventured

Something Ventured is a 2011 documentary film exploring the rise of venture capitalism in Silicon Valley, California. The film takes a look at the entrepreneurial spirit that drove some of the most successful business ventures in the technology industry, highlighting the pioneering investors behind them. The documentary features interviews with some of the most renowned venture capitalists of the time, including Bill Bowes, Herbert Boyer, and Po Bronson. Through their personal anecdotes, insights, and candid stories, the film provides an insider's view into the high-stakes world of venture capitalism.

The film opens with a brief history of Silicon Valley and how the region became a hotbed of innovation to change the way we live, work and communicate. This paved way for a group of visionaries who spotted an opportunity to invest in these new startups that were sprouting up.

The documentary emphasizes the importance of risk-taking, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit in the tech world. Entrepreneurs who risk initial failures before making it big often need support from investors who can provide the capital necessary to make their ideas become a reality. However, the movie also depicts that the risk of failure is always present, and investors have to make calculated investments in order to mitigate these risks.

The film focuses on some of the most successful startup stories that were launched with the help of venture capitalists such as Intel, Apple, Cisco Systems, Genentech, and Atari, among others. These stories highlight how the support of a venture capitalist can help turn an idea into a reality. Moreover, these are inspirational stories of how entrepreneurs and venture capitalists changed the course of the world by launching technological breakthroughs that changed our way of living.

Something Ventured places significant emphasis on the people behind these startups and the personalities of their respective investors. For example, the story of Bill Draper and his investment in an early-stage venture called Cerent shows how he stayed with the company for almost ten years, through good times and bad, to help it eventually become a significant company in the telecommunications space.

The documentary also highlights the investment by Arthur Rock in Intel, which was initially a small startup with only a few employees. His investment in the company helped propel it into the giant it is today, and the manner in which he made the investment was unique. Rock wanted to combine the best of the risky startup world with the best practices of the established business world. The film depicts how this combination played a pivotal role in the successful story of Intel.

Throughout the film, the interviewees share stories about their experiences, which helped shape the future of Silicon Valley. The stories are filled with high-stakes risks and near-failures, which are then ultimately transformed into when's-in-a-lifetime investment opportunities. The documentary depicts the critical role of venture capitalists in helping Silicon Valley to grow to become the hub of technology innovation that it is today, and how they were instrumental in shaping and structuring the industry, influencing it to become the bedrock of modern capitalism.

Overall, Something Ventured is a must-see documentary for anyone interested in the world of technology, entrepreneurship, and venture capitalism. Through the interviews with the pioneers of the tech world, viewers gain a newfound appreciation for the courage and determination required to turn world-changing technology ideas into successful business ventures. The film ultimately speaks to the power of human ingenuity and entrepreneurship, and the value of risk-taking when making investment decisions.

Something Ventured is a 2011 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 24 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.