The basics

I invest in early stage startups as a partner at Spark Capital. I get joy from partnering with founders on that strange alchemy of design and technology that can create entirely new markets.A majority of CEOs I work with are first-time founders, and I love the challenge of unlocking the potential energy of those startup cultures. I've been lucky enough to serve on the board of startups like Cruise, Postmates, Zum, Discord, and a bunch more you will know soon enough.Previously I was a founder at three wildly different startups, from a MIT Media Lab hardware spinout, to an online social gaming company. One IPO, one sizeable acquisition, one shutdown, all worth the chances that were taken.I started life as an engineer, then studied design, then was a founder and now investor. I have spent all of my professional life in startups. Specialization is for insects.The quote below from Charles Eames is a personal reminder I've had around since college. A mantra I use to remember great ideas don't always come from likely sources, and we should try to nudge the world in the direction of creative risk & playful spirit if we want to continue to innovate to something better.

“Toys are not really as innocent as they look. Toys and games are preludes to serious ideas.” - Charles Eames

Internet exhaust

You won't find me at many conferences or press appearances. I like working with a small group of people closely, solving hard problems, and letting the score take care of itself. But I'm also not trying to hide, so here is some of the digital exhaust I've left over the years.

🔈 Hallway Chat
My partner Fraser and I talk regularly about AI products that are worth paying attention to, occasionally inviting friends to join. The goal is a free-wheeling discussion on what it means to built great AI products today, which it turns out is an elusive subject.

🎤 Talking
2023 - VC culture, Midjourney's Unique Growth Loops, and Google's AI Crisis
Unsolicited Feedback
2020 - Marketplaces with Sarah Tavel & Nabeel Hyatt
Venture Stories
2019 - The next billion dollar companies in frontier technology
LDV Vision Summit
2016 - 20Min VC: Investing Ahead of the Curve
20Minute VC
2016 - Investing in Disruptive Markets
Business Insider

🖋 Posting
2023 - Building a board game with AI
2021 - OKRs
2020 - Layoffs
2020 - San Francisco & Civic Engagement
2017 - What happens when self-driving happens
2015 - Insiders vs Outsiders
2014 - Pitching your current investors
2013 - Moneyball VC Won’t Work
2013 - Startups are not a game of chess

🐶 Boards
Startups where we led a round and I served on the board are listed,
all were early stage investments. In a venture world that has gotten increasingly transactional, I try to do fewer, meaningful deals.
2024 - (stealth AI productivity model)
2024 - (stealth AI hw device)
2024 - Bot Co - (stealth home robotics)
2024 - (stealth AI creative tool)
2023 - Latent Technologies
2021 - Mountaintop Games
2021 - Descript - The power of AI in Creativity
2020 - Sonera
2019 - Instawork
2018 - Wild Type
2017 - Zum
2016 - Discord - How Discord EvolvesPrior
2023 - Adept - The AI co-pilot for your computer
2020 - AllStripes - A Community for Cures (acquired by Picnic Health)
2017 - Capella Space - A World of Information
2016 - Proletariat (acquired by Activision/Blizzard)
2016 - Sonder - Re-inventing the hotel & Congrats (ipo)
2015 - Cruise - The hard things, the hard way (acquired by GM)
2015 - Harmonix (acquired by Epic Games)
2015 - North - It Takes Time (acquired by Google)
2015 - Postmates - Unlocking the city & Thank you Postmates (acquired by Uber)

🧠 AI
I got into AI in college, using primitive versions to create generative art and a desktop pet. Then got excited about advances in computer vision & autonomy, which lead to leading the Series A in Cruise. Today, I continue to invest in AI, do an AI podcast with my partner Fraser and spend whatever free time I have on various AI projects.📷 Art
Gallery @ Deca🌅 Side projects I need help with
- GrowSF - On the advisory board, it's the single best thing we can do for SF
- Making SF the global center for immersive digital arts
- A unique foundation model I want to exist
- A non-profit project to re-rank colleges

• Twitter
• Threads
• Discord