The concept of venture assistance is simple. Most VCs pitch their firms as being able to add value — to really help a company’s entrepreneurial founders. Personally, I think leading VC firms do a pretty good job of being supportive of their companies, and most entrepreneurs funded by good firms like their investors. But, on the question of “value added,” most venture capitalists (each VC with a typical 10–16 boards) even among the leading partnerships, are pretty passive and ineffective when it comes to assisting companies, except possibly in helping with networking, or they don’t give the right advice.