Friday, December 28, 2012
What Mattered in 2012: Marc Averitt, Okapi Venture Capital
For the last week of the year, we're featuring the thoughts and reflections of some of the movers and shakers of Southern California's high tech community. We asked the same four questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next week.
Today, we're featuring Marc Averitt, co-founder and Managing Director of Okapi Venture Capital.
1. What was the biggest news for you/your firm this year?
We very quietly went live with our second fund, Okapi Ventures II, LP, back in March and have already made 4 investments.
2. In your opinion, what events, companies, or people made the biggest impact on the technology world this year?
I think Steve Jobs' passing had the biggest impact on the tech world in terms of emotional impact and implications. I also think that 2012 will be "year of the accelerator" in retrospect with 500, YC, Science, Amplify, TechStars, LaunchPad L.A. and the like taking center stage.
3. What was the biggest lesson you learned over the past year (good or bad)?
Make sure one's emotional IQ is higher than one's IQ up front.
4. What are the technologies, companies, or things we ought to watch in 2013?
I think "enterprise 2.0" becomes a reality in 2013 with the consumerization of enterprise software and cloud computing leading the charge.
See more insights from the Southern California high tech community in our continued series this whole week!