How Design and Venture Capital Go Hand in Hand

On June 7th, KPCB Design Partner John Maeda hosted a conversation on design, craft, and technology with some of the design industry’s biggest luminaries at fuseproject’s offices in San Francisco. In front of a packed crowd, panelists participated in a game of “conversation ping pong” in which they took turns interviewing each other (and being interviewed by John Maeda) on the future of creativity as well as how they see design and venture capital evolving together.

Yves Béhar on the Evolution of Designers from Equity Holders to Back Office Staffers and Back

KPCB’s John Maeda and Yves Béhar, Founder and CEO of Fuseproject, discuss the ideal relationship between design and business and why it is important that compensation of designers include an equity component.

The Importance of Mentorship within Venture Capital

KPCB General Partner Mike Abbott describes how he created KPCB’s Tech Council as well as its Design Council in an effort to support founders and entrepreneurs through that most potent of tools – mentorship.

Why Would a KPCB Partner Hold Office Hours at a University?

Once a week, KPCB’s Mike Abbott holds “office hours” at Stanford University. In this clip, he describes the importance of his dialogue with students and how much he values his time on campus.

Rob Forbes’ Inspiration for Design Within Reach and the Early Challenges of Scaling

In this clip, Rob Forbes describes what inspired him to found Design Within Reach and some of the early challenges that the company faced, especially as it grew at an unexpectedly fast pace.

How Getting an MBA Helps Being a Successful Designer

Design Within Reach Founder Rob Forbes thinks that getting an MBA was a tremendous advantage in his development as a designer.

Organizing One of the Most Disorganized Communities on the Planet: Creative People

Scott Belsky of Behance describes what inspired him to move from organizational consulting at Goldman Sachs to creating a company with a tough task: organizing creative people.

Scott Belsky on What Should Guide Young Entrepreneurs’ Creativity

“Make sure that you are creating something that the world needs,” says Scott Belsky when describing what he thinks young entrepreneurs should keep in mind as they harness their creativity. “[On an] artistic level, it’s wonderful to create something that’s fascinating to you. But on a social, communal level, it’s also great to create something that needs to exist.”

The Genesis of Critbuns – Yes, Critbuns

Joe Gebbia, Co-Founder and CPO of Airbnb, describes the genesis of his first invention: Critbuns, a seat cushion designed to make student art critiques at the Rhode Island School of Design less painful on the students’, well, buns.