Technology Exponentials
Despite a natural human tendency to presume linearity, accelerating change from positive feedback is a common pattern in technology and evolution. We are now crossing a threshold where the pace of disruptive shifts is no longer intergenerational; instead, it begins to have a meaningful impact over the span of careers and eventually over product cycles.
As early-stage venture capitalists (VCs), we look for disruptive businesses run by entrepreneurs who want to change the world. To be successful, we must identify technology waves early and act upon those beliefs. At Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), we believe that nanotech is the next great technology wave, the nexus of scientific innovation that revolutionizes most industries and indirectly affects the fabric of society. Historians will look back on the upcoming epoch as having no less portent than the Industrial Revolution.
The aforementioned are some long-term trends. Today, from a seed-stage VC perspective (with a broad sampling of the entrepreneurial pool), we are seeing more innovation than ever before. And we are investing in more new companies than ever before.
The history of humanity is that we use our knowledge and technical expertise to build better tools and expand the bounds of our learning. We are entering an era of exponential growth in our capabilities in biotech, molecular engineering, and computing.