Succeeding in a hypercompetitive world: VC advice for smaller companies

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine certain venture capital (VC) practices that conventional company managers might adopt to improve effectiveness when faced with increasing competition.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on current VC research, the paper isolates certain practices that are particularly effective in hypercompetitive contexts.

Findings

If managers see their companies differently – not as monolithic entities but rather as a combination of different business models, some nascent, some mature, a portfolio of current opportunities with potential offshoots – managers can implement practices to increase the company's ability to survive and potentially thrive in a hypercompetitive environment.

Originality/value

Venture capitalists guide companies through important transitions in turbulent contexts. This article isolates and analyses their practices, so as to allow them to be transposed to a more conventional business context.

Citation

King, B.L. (2013), "Succeeding in a hypercompetitive world: VC advice for smaller companies", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 22-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-11-2012-0064