Rating: 
Summary: not profound, but not prosaic either
Review: Broad overview of the netherworld of venture capitalists as well as short take on eBay, the unlikely "profitable" internet company that learned how to scale its technology and augment its customer base with the help of Benchmark. As other reviews will corroboarte, it's this book's ebullient writing that salvages it from a more tepid rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Eboys was a great read
Review: Eboys is an exciting story about Benchmark Capital, a venture capital firm that has enjoyed enormous success lately. Its a good read that has exciting stories about companies you can identify. Being a student, I feel this book has truly inspired me to join the path of becomming a venture capitalist. As the books describes, being a venture guy allows you to combine so many various aspects of business, from management to funding. I reccomend this book to anyone interested in finance, VC, or ebay. Many exciting stories combined with an articulate writer and intersting characters.
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Summary: Insiders look
Review: Ever wonder what venture capitalists actually do? Read this excellent insiders account of Benchmark Capital and see how this firm catapulted itself to the forefront of VCs beating Kleiner Perkins in returns in just five years. The book goes in-depth on the stories behind how they funded eBay, Scient, Webvan and Ariba. Moreover the author does a fantastic job making the partners come to life; so much so that you feel you know Bob Kagle and David Beirne by the end of the book.
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Summary: A good read with some good lessons
Review: I doubt "eBoys" was intended to read as a period piece, but it certainly does in the post-technology bubble world. There are a couple things that come across loud and clear: first, these venture capitalists were not blind to the bubble that was forming; second, if they wanted to stay alive and relevant in their field, they needed to keep financing new companies and unwillingly participate in furthering the bubble.
The story is well-told and gives you an insider's view of how at least one venture capital firm makes the decision of who gets funding and who doesn't. It also serves as a cautionary tale about how even the most sophisticated investors get sucked into bubble mentality.
A valuable read for investors, entreprenuers, and aspiring venture capitalists.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but misinformed
Review: I found the book to be totally engrossing and entertaining, but also amusing (not always in a good way), a little inaccurate, and probably more than a little embarrassing to the participants in hindsight. If you are looking for an entertaining read about the highest fliers in the internet bubble, this is a great choice. But if you are hoping to learn more about venture capital from an insiders point of view, this book will lead you astray.The author's description of the prevailing attitudes and lingo at Benchmark and other venture firms seems out of place. He seems to be describing the macho environment of an investment bank rather than the more subdued approach of venture capitalists. But maybe that's the way things actually were at Benchmark in the late 1990s. As a venture capitalist myself, I was surprised by the apparent lack of due diligence and the thin premises upon which the partners seemed to make their investment decisions. I'm sure this perception is in part a consequence of the author's intentional decision to gloss over the nitty gritty details. But explicit dialogue between the partners shows that the partners did in fact have a shoot-from-the-hip style. I am hardly qualified to question the partners' instincts when they were so successful. But I do think it is a wildly inaccurate portrayal of the industry as a whole.
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Summary: Amazing. Eboys + The Perfect Store = future billionaire.
Review: I stand corrected on my earlier review of "The Perfect Store" -- Eboys has now usurped the title of "quite possibly the best book I've ever read." O.k. so I tend to exaggerate after I read a really great book, but this is definitely in my top 10 books of all time... and I'm a voracious reader (500+ easy... at age 28).
Informative, educational, entertaining, instructive, and incredibly motivating and inspiring -- for all those with an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit like the one I have, Eboys can be thought of as an entrepreneurial bible... or maybe hymnal would be more appropriate. I read the book and now I'm listening to the Audible audiobook... simply awesome... again! This is a must-have book for any budding Bill Gates, Micheal Dell, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, or PIERRE OMIDYAR out there. Heck I even sent Benchmark the executive summary for my business even though they don't invest in my industry... I was just that impressed with those guys.
Read it. Save it. Refer to it. You'll be glad you did.
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Summary: Self-Centered and Boring
Review: I usually finish all books that I buy, but this one ended up in the scrap heap after about 100 pages. The author projects that these VC's are the coolest thing to ever happen, all their fancy lingo, and the fact that companies, people, and dreams are all waiting for their "thumbs up". The entrepreneurs should be the real success story hear, not their stupid VC's.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging, informative, and even a little fun
Review: If you have ever been involved with Venture Guys (as I have), or contemplated that you might want to start you own company and go get funding from them, then this book will provide considerable insight into their overall mindset and the way that they do business. Stross does an admirable job of keeping technical lingo to a minimum and carefully examining the "how" and "why" behind the Benchmark investments. With such successes as eBay, Scient, and Webvan in their portfolio, the team at Benchmark provides a great model for the venture community as a whole. Likewise, the book does not paint everything in happy colors and shows some of the notable failures that have occurred over the past few years. This is a fine book for anyone who wants to understand more of the money side of the companies driving the New Economy as well as for anyone that wants to see how deals really get done. The character development is a little weak, but that is fairly standard in business books.
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Summary: Irresistible, Essential Reading for Entrepreneurs
Review: Most people who want to found a new business dream about getting venture capital en route to going public. At least a third of these people who approach venture capital firms do not have any contacts to get them a hearing at venture capital firms. Even those who do will find the odds are long. Perhaps one deal in 100 from connected people will be funded by a particular venture capital firm. Almost all entrepreneurs I know think that venture capitalists get paid too much, and that they get in the way rather than being a help. This book will help you draw your own conclusions, as well as give you some ideas about what to look for if you do decide to go for venture capital. Many will be astonished to see that funded ideas often come with no workable CEO in place. The venture capitalist will often play a key role in doing the recruiting of the CEO and other key personnel. Also, others will be amazed to find out how important little things are to keeping deals together or tearing them apart -- usually the trust or lack of trust in those involved on all sides. For years, I have worked with executives whose firms were orginally funded by venture capitalists. I also have friends who are venture capitalists. Everything in the book rang true to me. The only thing that would have made the book bettter would have been equal access to the thinking of the people in the start-ups. We get their view through the VCs. Because of the relationships involved, that's hard to accomplish because there's a need to stay friendly that is harmful to candor. Although the book will be invaluable to entrepreneurs, it was not designed for that purpose. It really is more of a business history of one firm over a two year period of time, highlighting some of its most successful (eBay and Webvan) and unsuccessful (a venture with Toys R Us that went nowhere) relationships. You'll have to draw your own lessons along the way. So it's like reading a mystery novel. Keep your eyes open for the clues, and draw your own conclusions. People thinking about a career in venture capital will also find the book to be valuable. The demands and strains are large, and so are the rewards when it all works. Keep in mind that success in venture capital goes in cycles. My friends tell me that dot com investments have been the most successful class of investing ever for VCs. Some firms report making money 90 percent of the time in the last 5 years. It won't usually be that easy. Se remember that you are reading about the good times when you go through this book. Buy it, read it, and apply its lessons to make your own success greater! You're much more likely to create an irresistible growth enterprise when you do.
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Summary: Good Insights for Anyone Involved in an Early-Stage Company
Review: This book offers a "fly-on-the-wall" account of the inner workings of Benchmark Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. This book details the events surrounding the funding and growth of such companies as E-bay, Priceline, Webvan, and Art.com. Additionally, the book brings the reader inside the partner meetings so one can see the heuristics of this venture capital firm. The only downside is that the author portrays the partners as sensitive to the needs of the varied people seeking funding from Benchmark. It is possible that this portrayal is accurate, however, I suspect that Benchmark is as ruthless as other VC firms. In the end I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the process of seeking funding and the dynamics of early-stage companies.
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