John Doerr

Every industry needs financiers, and among the venture capitalists who have funded the network computing industry, John Doerr is a legend.

As the man behind the investments in Compaq Computer Corp., Intuit, Inc., Macromedia, Inc., Lotus Development Corp., Netscape, Sun and Symantec Corp., among others, Doerr has helped make KPCB a leader in the venture capital community. Among KPCB's recent investments are Resonate, Inc., which offers server management tools for the Internet and intranets; Gigabit Ethernet vendor Extreme Networks, Inc.; @Large, a provider of Web-based business applications; @Home Network, the Internet-over-cable-TV company; Concentric Network Corp., an ISP; cyber-bookseller Amazon.com; and Netiva Software, which is building Java-based products for developing 'Net and intranet applications.

Doerr personally serves on the boards of Intuit, Macromedia, Netscape, Platinum Software Corp., Shiva Corp., Sun, Academic Systems Corp., The Lightspan Partnership and Amazon.com.

Not content just to fund the network revolution, Doerr has pushed the once apolitical Silicon Valley into a more active role in the national political scene. With Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, Doerr is serving as cochair of the fledgling Technology Network. It aims to "facilitate strong working relationships between individuals and companies in the technology community and the nation's political leaders" - in other words, flex the money and muscle of the world's richest entrepreneurs.

The Technology Network is backed by a Who's Who of high-tech leaders, including John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, Intuit CEO Scott Cook, Sun's Scott McNealy, Marimba, Inc. CEO Kim Polese, and Hewlett-Packard Co.'s John Young.

With the outspoken and tireless Doerr, not to mention the savvy Barksdale, at its helm, expect the Technology Network to become a potent political force. And why not? After all, Doerr seems to have the touch.

NEXT: John Ebbers