Don Valentine
Don Valentine appears in Ron Conway on National Semiconductor, Altos, and Early Angel Investing as the Sequoia Capital investor connected to Altos Computer and later to Ron Conway’s move toward investing. Conway says Valentine joined the Altos board, went on the IPO roadshow, and later asked Conway what he wanted to do next after operating companies.
Valentine’s role in the source is a practical Founder-Investor Learning bridge. He invited Conway to observe boards and watch how founders received advice, helping Conway see that investing could let him advise founders, advocate for them, and help with customers without running the company day to day.
Ron Conway on Founder Advocacy, Angel Investing, and the Internet’s First Wave deepens that mentorship branch. Conway says Valentine invited him to board meetings, modeled founder mentorship, and remained a close friend through the end of Valentine’s life. The episode uses Conway’s final visit with Valentine to reinforce the broader theme that durable relationships, not only formal board roles, became part of Conway’s investing style.
Connections
- Sequoia Capital - firm context.
- Altos Computer and Ron Conway - board, IPO, and later career-advice context.
- Founder-Investor Learning and Organized Angel Investor Networks - concepts extended by the source.
- Founder Advocacy and Founder Friendly Investor Support - later Conway support patterns shaped by Valentine’s mentorship.