Name: California's Billionaire Tax Is Killing Silicon Valley—a Top Venture Capitalist Sounds the Alarm
Uploaded: 2026-06-04T21:11:20.000Z
Description: Ben Narasin, a veteran venture capitalist and former entrepreneur, shares the lessons behind decades of building and funding companies. From flipping comic books as a kid to leading one of the early dot-com IPOs, his journey reveals what it really takes to succeed in business.

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Steve Ispas is an investigative journalist with The Epoch Times and the host of Epoch TV’s “Bay Area Innovators” program. Steve grew up in Eastern Europe, and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 35 years. He worked in the tech industry for 15 years at LSI Logic and Rambus, and has been with The Epoch Times in various positions since 2003. His recent coverage includes an in-depth exclusive investigation of the secret Chinese biolab discovered in Reedley, Calif., in 2022.

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Ben Narasin, a veteran venture capitalist and former entrepreneur, shares the lessons behind decades of building and funding companies. From flipping comic books as a kid to leading one of the early dot-com IPOs, his journey reveals what it really takes to succeed in business.

In this conversation, Narasin breaks down what separates successful founders from the rest—after reviewing more than 10,000 startup pitches and investing in only a handful. He explains why ideas alone are meaningless, why execution and tenacity matter most, and what instantly turns him away from a deal.

“People think having a great idea is enough. It’s not. Execution is everything,” he says.

He also offers a rare inside look at how venture capital works, the reality behind startup funding, and the mindset required to survive one of the toughest paths in business.

Watch the full interview for an unfiltered look at entrepreneurship, investing, and what it really takes to win.

<em>Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of NTD.</em>

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