Solyndra's collapse and Eckstein's shift from venture capital to corporate venturer heralds the times.

You can always tell the return to work of people from their holidays as the news flow picks up covering the spectrum from shocking through to really interesting.

The shock was the scale of debts – $783.8m – run up by failed clean-tech company Solyndra and the likely fall-out given the unprecedented levels of US government support including a $535m loan.

There is also an element of hubris, according to insiders, about the tale given Solyndra’s rejection of a…