Valley guy: when he's not surfing, venture capitalist Bill Tai combs Silicon Valley for the next Google

Men's Fitness, May, 2008 by Cora Daniels

Bill Tai is stalked constantly. Not by women (at least not that we know of), but by executives from fledgling Silicon Valley companies seeking cash. Lots of it. Tai, 40, is a venture capitalist--a general partner with Charles Rivers Ventures and director of the firm's Silicon Valley practice. He specializes in early-stage start-ups--essentially helping tech companies get off the ground. A finance whiz for as long as he can remember, Tai started his career as an electrical engineer with LSI Logic before getting his MBA at Harvard to become a VC in 1991. Since then, he's funded 39 companies--16 went public, while another seven were acquired by major companies. That batting record makes him the Barry Bonds of VCs, without the controversy. For someone who's workday is filled with thrills, Tai, not surprisingly, chases thrills away from the office, as well--so much so that he's known around Silicon Valley as The Kiteboarder.

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MF: HOW'D YOU GET YOUR START?

BF: I was an electrical engineer and came to Silicon Valley to join a start-up and ride the tech wave. along the way, I realized I was more interested in finding little companies that could become big. The passion of entrepreneurs is really exciting, so I went back to school and began my career.

WHERE DO YOU FIND THE COMPANIES YOU FUND?

Some guys do it by reading unsolicited business plans, but not me. My business is all based on networking--and it's not something I do after work over free drinks. Networking is my work. I'm surrounded by a network of smart people who are the best in the world at what they do. My job is to know them.

HOW'D YOU DISCOVER YOUR LOVE OF KITEBOARDING?

I went on a trip to Mexico a few years ago and saw kiting for the first time--and was in awe. The sport is a lot like wakeboarding in three dimensions. You're using a kite to harness the wind to propel yourself across water at 20 to 40 miles per hour. With the changing wind, water, and waves, no ride is ever the same. That kind of rush is also incredibly addictive.

SEEMS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOUR LOVE OF KITING AND YOUR DAY JOB.

There definitely are. Guys who kite and guys who start companies have a lot in common. The sport is still young, so at this stage the people who are drawn to kiting tend to have a lot of the same traits as guys with successful business careers--they are self-reliant, passionate about what they do, persistent, and calculated risk takers who are addicted to adrenaline. They also have an energy that embodies all that. If you don't have all those things, you are not going to make it in kiting--or starting your own company.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU GET FROM KITING THAT WOULD MAKE YOU RECOMMEND IT TO OTHER GUYS?

Stress relief. My day tends to be pretty busy, pretty hectic. The only time my mind is quiet and I get to clear my head is on the water. When you're kiting, you're exercising a completely different part of your brain at 100% concentration. You have to or you won't succeed. Days need to be filled with that kind of novelty, otherwise life goes stale. Kiting brings me that.

Malcolm O, Munro is an author, career coach, and adjunct professor of business administration at Strayer University in Virginia.