Hmm. This seems to miss the point. Consider that when you invest in exchange traded stocks: your goal is not to predict which company will make more profit. You

Hmm. This seems to miss the point. Consider that when you invest in exchange traded stocks: your goal is not to predict which company will make more profit. Your goal is to predict which company other people will end up thinking is worth more. These things are somewhat connected obviously, eventually, but they're not the same. Similarly, your VC is thinking about how much they can offload a portfolio company to investors in the public markets. If those investors believe stupid stuff like self-driving cars are a real thing, then why should we feel mad at the poor VC? They're just doing their job well.