BIG PROBLEMS: Last Friday's SVForum on Education and Technology was a certifiable jam-session on everything from global professional development to the neuroscience of learning. One of the liveliest discussions was a Q&A session with VCs from Alsop Louie Partners, NewSchools Venture Fund, Norwest Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, and DBL Investors. With an audience evenly split between entrepreneurs, academia, industry, and educators, the questions were not limited to the run-of-the-mill-gimme-money-please variety. One major sticking point was how to create "scalable" solutions in a market dominated by "local" problems. Yes, this is a field in transition, the panelists agreed. Still they encouraged entrepreneurs seeking VC dollars to attack "BIG" problems (transcending local issues) and shoot for hybrid (institutional and consumer) or consumer-centric products--markets where VCs feel on more solid ground. Now, if only we could all agree on what constitutes a solvable "BIG" problem!
