Build Your Fortune in the Fifth Era: How Angel Investors, VCs, and Entrepreneurs Prosper in an Age of Unprecedented Innovation Paperback – April 16, 2017

I know one of the authors of this book, Matthew Le Merle, for years as one of iconic members of Silicon Valley startup ecosystem: investor, advisor, speaker and a overall an inspiring person to interact with.. cold on the surface but very deep, open to new ideas and very enthusiastic inside.. so when this book was announced I couldn't wait to read it and see how Matthew's and his partner Alison's views of the world translate into a written word.The reading was truly engaging and exposed a whole new dimension to me: essentially Matthew and Alison showed readers the forest behind the trees and explained why the new era of Humankind development (what they call Fifth Era) is an enormous tectonic shift, where lots of ideas and activities are coming together as pieces of a big puzzle.. This era changes the way we work, the way we interact with friends, the way we learn, the way we build new values.. the way we do ANYTHING.. And, of course, this shift creates an amazing opportunity to make money while enjoying something innovative and fascinating.The book is full of examples and observations that are very convincing: we see where the Fifth Era opportunities start, we see how they can be structured and analyzed (Empiric turning to Theoretical), then we see how this aggregated deep knowledge can be turned back to practical recommendations to people who are willing to take a manageable risk and make the money via early-stage investments.Highly recommended as one of the must-read books of the caliber comparable to "Art of the Start" and "From Good to Great".

Having known Matthew for years, he helped me make my first investments and we have both prospered since. All his advice to me over the years are right here in this book. Beyond the excellent opinions and insights, the book helps you take action steps to get to know yourself better and how (or if) you're willing to participate as an investor in our new era of a connected world with VR, virtual currency, and smart homes.This book is primarily for entrepreneurs and investors or people who are aspiring to become one. If you want to understand what the future opportunities are in our technology driven world, you should read this book. It would take most people decades to learn what this book explains in an afternoon of reading.

This book offers a succinct description of the era we live in currently, and many of the necessary tools needed to succeed. Over the past 30 years, we have seen a rapid growth in technologies and their accessibility to the general public. Mathew Le Merle and Alison Davis offer their expert analysis and give critical information about how to survive in the Fifth Era! As a "digital native," I loved their feedback on how my generation can strive for innovation that makes POSITIVE impacts. Can we balance our hunger for better, faster, and more efficient investments with our need to preserve the world we live in? Authors do a fantastic job at answering these questions, and offer real-world solutions! Would recommend, great read!!

This was a fantastic read! The book is chock full of interesting facts from the perspective of active angel investors and authors who have clearly had on-the-ground experience w/ the material they're writing about. The hugely diverse scope of notable figures, historical events, and present trends that are analyzed and parsed throughout the chapters paints a fascinating picture of the modern innovation landscape; it also builds a compelling case for the argument put forward in the pages.I think this is a strong guidebook for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to both build and pitch their businesses in the context of the current era. Highly recommend.

Le Merle and Davis make a compelling case for the "Fifth Era" and the impact of "Generation C" - those born after 1990 who are digital natives. This squares well with my work in education where it is clear that the world as changed dramatically since most adults where in school but schools are the same as they were 100 years ago during the advent of the industrial era. Their advice is for leveraging this opportunity is practical and offers multiple entry points given your interest and risk profile. Definitely worth a read.

Don’t just take my word for it, read this book and you’ll see for yourself! It’ll set you on the path to impressive wealth, if you follow it’s advice. I know I’m on my way!

The authors provide a valuable lens through which one can view and assess many of the changes and dislocations going on in today's world. And going beyond that, the reader is given actionable recommendations (suited to their own individual skill sets and resources) as to how to thrive in the coming times. It is a relatively quick and very powering read. Highly recommended for all who are about to enter or want to re-evaluate their role in the workforce or as investors.

Build Your Fortune in the Fifth Era is an incredible read with a wealth of information on how to invest in the current market. Matthew Le Merle and Alison Davis are subject matter experts who do a great job of explaining how and why we should all be investing in the tech industry in an easy to understand and in depth manner. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in fostering the growth of tomorrows tech giants!

Exponential waves in historyEven the large historical waves start to show exponential effects.Over 2 million years we were hunter gathers (Hunter-Gatherer Era), for over 10,000 years we were farmers (Agrarian Era), for 400 years we were traders (Mercantile Era), for about 200 years we have been industrialists (Industrial Era) and now we are about to move into the Fifth Era.Finding meaning in future trendsThe book is not far from a blog I wrote a year ago about trying to making future trends meaningful. The link to the blog you will find hereMegatrendsThere are two mega trends, the Digital Revolution and the Biotechnology Revolution. And they are starting to mix. They identify a number of other key trends as result:Biotechnology and HealthcareBig Data, Analytics, and Applications of Artificial IntelligenceWearables and the Internet of Things (Virtual Reality and Augmented RealitySecurity SoftwareFinTech and BlockchainClean TechnologiesThere is nothing new there.Understanding Generation CWhat the book teaches you is how different perspective of the Generation C. Anyone born after 1990. They have always been connected. It is the generation that Richard Watson in “Digital versus Human” is very worried about. The authors suggest we should go with the flow.They are differentThey are very different than people born before 1990 and we need to learn to see the world in their eyes.Technology is so intimately woven into their lives that the concept of “early adopter” is essentially meaningless. They are Generation C—connected, communicating, content-centric, computerised, community-oriented, always clicking. Which means that our underlying assumptions are wrong.The definition of friendship as an exampleBoth our generation and Generation C have the same definition of what a friend is. They just have a lot more of them and a lot of them, they have not even met. However, consistently, that Generation C is living up to the definition of friendship with their friends while our generation is not Whose Friends Are More Real? The answer is Generation C. Why? Because they have released themselves from the Industrial Era mindset friendships need to be physically based and because they have embraced digital innovations that allow them to build virtual friendships with people they have not yet met in person.Our assumptions are wrongOur assumed definition of learning and universities, work, marketing and branding is wrong. That is why they invented “the sharing economy,” “services on-demand,” “virtual workplaces,” and so on, that better fit people’s future new realities. Their trust is shifting from well-known brands to referrals from their closest friends.These changes are forcing companies to rethink how to manage their employees, who are already becoming less emotionally attached to their company’s wider purpose and goals and who expect to be able to live their digital lives at work as well as at homeIt is all good newsThere will be a plethora of new and unimaginable inventions.There will be a fundamental reevaluation of what humans value.We will have a dramatic increase in productivity.Sustainability will become an essential part of doing businessPeople will have much more freedom to spend their time according to their desires.The power of diversity will be increasingly understood and leveraged.Traditional philanthropy and the for-profit model will come closer togetherParty poopersUnless Balkanization of the global economic system, cybersecurity crises and failures or regulation and anti-technology protectionism will spoil the party.We need to take noteOne way or the other you have to take note. It is the next gold rush. What is concerning is the “winners take all” effect. Most people are on the sidelines. The world’s most valuable companies are Fifth Era companies. The world’s richest people are Fifth Era entrepreneurs. At the moment the winners are the tech entrepreneurs and their investors. That is only 0.2% of the working population reaping the enormous benefitsOptions to get on the bandwagonThe book makes some suggestion to get on the bandwagon. Here are the options:Option 1. Become a Technology EntrepreneurOption 2. Become an Employee of a Fifth Era CompanyOption 3. Become an Active Investor: Venture Capital Fund •Option 4. Become a Passive Investor: Venture Capital FundsOption 5. Become an Active Investor: Angel InvestorOption 6. Become a Passive Investor: Angel Co-Investment FundsOption 7. Become a Crowdfunding InvestorOption 8. Become a Provider of an Incubator and/or AcceleratorOption 9. Become a Provider of Professional Services to Fifth Era CompaniesNon-options?Not sure what to make of that. For a lot of us they are non-options? But are they? There is a message here. To make your fortunes, you will need to understand entrepreneurship. Crowdfunding might be a good way for you to dip a toe into being an investor in early-stage technology companies. Or start applying for a job in a fifth era company.I am advising all my kids (and everyone that listens) to become entrepreneurs. It is the future.

I approached reading Build Your Fortune with trepidation as I am not a natural investor and don't do tech very well. The book has made me more confident and I'm thinking of giving investing in start-ups a shot.I like the clear organisation of the book. It is not hugely insightful - we sort of know the theory anyway. But the book organises your thinking to help you take decisions - a self-help book.The authors clearly know their stuff and are writing from experience rather than from an academic or speculative position.Let's hope the next two books in the series are as good.

"Disruptive innovations" - a keystone technical term in this analysis of the Fifth Era, but potentially the first of many linguistic hurdles for the reader who is neither an entrepreneur nor an angel investor. Have no fear. The lucid style, the historical contextualisation of the Fifth Era and clear guidelines for recognising new wealth creating opportunities in the now make this an accessible primer for the reader who wants to understand and engage with our new economic and business environment.

Simply yet brilliantly written view of what's coming in the new era of IT and how best to invest in it.An eloquent review of where humanity has come from, how we've got to now and where we are most likely heading. Informative, entertaining and insightful. Well done Matthew and Alison

From the very first page I was drawn in by the approachable and relaxed style of writing and content. The authors appear to have captured the essence of the now. Very much recommended.