[stanford_labrat]

I've always thought of these VC fueled expeditions to nowhere as the opposite. Wealth transfer from the owning class to the middle class seeing as a lot of these ventures crash and burn with nothing to show for it.

Except for the founders/early employees who get a modest (sometimes excessive) paycheck.

[chimeracoder]

> I've always thought of these VC fueled expeditions to nowhere as the opposite. Wealth transfer from the owning class to the middle class seeing as a lot of these ventures crash and burn with nothing to show for it.

That would be the case if VCs were investing their own money, but they're not. They're investing on behalf of their LPs. Who LPs are is generally an extremely closely-guarded secret, but it includes institutional investors, which means middle-class pensions and 401(k)s are wrapped up in these investments as well, just as they were tied up in the 2008 financial crisis.

It's not as clean-cut as it seems.

[hinkley]

I think the chilling effect on mom and pop businesses undoes all of that. When they (we) disrupt and industry the power consolidates but in new hands. The idea is to get it away from the entrenched interests but like a good cultural revolution the second tier ends up in charge when the first tier gets beheaded.

[givemeethekeys]

Can VC's get their funding from mutual funds and pension plans?

[rightbyte]

I think that is the 'find bag holders' part of the plan?