Learn From A Pioneer.

(From Israel Business Arena)

Byline: Michael Neuvirth

As we continue our trek through Silicon Valley, we find ourselves in San Francisco at the offices of WR Hambrecht and Company. William R. Hambrecht is a Silicon Valley pioneer who co-founded one of the first technology-based investment banks, Hambrecht & Quist, in 1968. In 1999, he left Hambrecht and Quist and founded the online investment bank WR Hambrecht and Company .

In the following interview with Enable, Hambrecht provides his insights on investment banking and initial public offerings.

Enable: What needs to be done at the earliest possible stage to ensure there are no snafus in a public offering?

Be absolutely certain that your corporate house is in order. This includes all legal, accounting and procedural matters. However, the most important thing is that you must accept the fact that the public investors will become and remain your partners. You must disclose everything and run your business from the point of view of the public shareholders - not your own. …