Why this lecture is important

Silicon Valley and the business models which have evolved here have been a global economic driver and have been emulated in many other venues the world over. Just a few years ago "high-tech" was king and even bad ideas could be funded generously. Stanford students all had their personal startups. Many immutable economic rules seemed to have been repealed. Then came the collapse.

With the demise of the dot-com euphoria, it makes sense to be a bit introspective and consider whether the models we use still make sense. Is there a high-tech future and what is the role of the entrepreneur and the start-up in it.

-dra