Forthcoming book on George Doriot, the Granddaddy of Venture Capital

It's not gonna be out until next April, but I'm looking forward to the publication of 'Creative Capital: George Doriot and the Birth of Venture Capital.' The author is Spencer Ante from BusinessWeek. (Note: I have no connection to the author or publisher... just mentioning it 'cause I find it interesting.)

Doriot was an influential prof at HBS and the founder of American Research and Development, the first VC firm; their biggest hit was a li'l company called Digital Equipment Corporation.

I'm not aware of another biography that has been written about Doriot, though someone did collect his writings in 2004.

Here's the description of 'Creative Capital,' from the Harvard Business School Press book catalog

...The author traces the pivotal events in Doriot's life, including his experience as a decorated brigadier general during World War II; as a maverick professor at Harvard Business School; and as the architect and founder of the first venture capital firm, American Research and Development.

....Ante gives us a rare look at the man who overturned conventional wisdom by proving that there is big money to be made by investing in small and risky businesses. This vivid portrait of George Doriot reveals the rewards that come from relentlessly pursuing what-if possibilities. ...

From Doriot's obituary in the NY Times:

In his role as a venture capitalist, Mr. Doriot thought of himself as someone who nurtured others' dreams. Comparing his role to that of a father with his children, he refused to give up on a business that was going through hard times. ''A history of profits is much more important in the long run than a profit in any one year,'' he said.