This week we meet serial-entrepreneur Alex Mashinsky, Managing Partner of Governing Dynamics, former CEO of Novatel Wireless, and self-proclaimed ‘man from the dark side of Mars’. In this in-depth interview he reveals what makes a great VC and the pitfalls of being a parallel entrepreneur; discusses the ‘blackhole of risk takers’ in Silicon Valley, the role of technology in extending human life, and why acting on an idea too early can slow you down long term.