Moving On
After three really great years at Kleiner Perkins, I’m moving on.
At the beginning of this year I met with my partners to let them know that as part of my move back to San Francisco, I planned to leave the firm to work on something new. In the year I’ve been abroad in London I have been purposefully scaling back my activity, pursuing two specific investments I had been excited about for over a year, with John taking on board responsibilities in each case. This spring I worked to transition the remainder of my board and firm roles to others and I feel confident that each company is in excellent hands.
Kleiner is a 44-year-old institution. It is a great place to learn the fundamentals of venture capital because there is simply no other firm with such broad institutional knowledge under one roof. The firm has spanned nearly two dozen funds, three distinct sectors, and three different stages — and has done so with a phenomenal group of partners, associates, and support staff.
I am grateful to everyone at Kleiner. It has been a privilege to work side-by-side with each and every one of them. These are people who are deeply committed to pushing innovation forward, supporting world-changing entrepreneurs, and generally trying to make the world a better place. And they have been my mentors and friends. I am particularly indebted to John and Mary, who not only have both been board members of mine, but ongoing advocates.
An aside on Mary: in a world of too few women investors, I feel incredibly lucky to have sat at the table with the best. Mary is an unparalleled investor with the analytical acumen you’d expect from her career, but also an innate appreciation for transformational products. She sees the potential in people, companies, and products better than anyone I have met. And she does her work with humility, integrity, and humor.
I am even more grateful to the entrepreneurs who have given me the opportunity to work with them as they build their companies. Being an investor is a privilege; people come in and tell you their dreams, often when they’re most vulnerable. This is never lost on me. And so I appreciate the entrepreneurs who share their time and dreams with me. I will continue to be an enthusiastic advocate for the founders and companies I’ve backed.
As for what I’m doing next — that’s still ‘stealth’ to use our strange industry parlance. Most immediately, I’m going to be investing my time in the most harrowing of tasks: finding a place to live in San Francisco.
