Editor's Note: The marijuana industry is reminiscent in several ways of the dot-com boom, though with stronger legs. And, as this article from The Sun Herald points out, "Fueled by many of the same reasons they got into tech, an increasing number of Silicon Valley veterans are investing in the booming cannabis market. As the tech market matures, the fledgling marijuana industry offers a hint of the old startup days, where innovators can write the rules as they go."
SAN FRANCISCOÂ – Seibo Shen made a lot of money in tech — he was an early employee at four startups that were acquired or went public. But for his latest venture, he didn’t just want to “add another zero to my bank account.”
He wanted to rekindle that startup thrill while selling a product he truly cared about.
So the 38-year-old San Franciscan raised $500,000 to get into the cannabis business. Now, instead of working accounts for months to sell software to businesses, Shen is hawking $650 marijuana vaporizers for his new company, VapeXhale.
It’s a lot quicker to close a deal these days.
