My Journey to WestWave Capital
Last year, amidst a whirlwind of innovation and the relentless pace of startups, I found my new calling as a Partner at WestWave Capital (WWC), where I invest in AI, Security, Infra and SaaS companies, provide support to early-stage companies, and more. But my story didn’t begin there. It’s a tale of engineering marvels, hyper-growth startups, and a deep-rooted empathy for founders, all of which led me to where I am now.
From Engineering to Entrepreneurship
I began my career in engineering, spending eight years leading the development of security products at Symantec. I then ventured to Nielsen, taking on the roles of VP of Technology and Chief Architect. It was there, amidst the Cloud transformation and my own deep dive into big data and machine learning, that I came to a crucial realization: Data is the cornerstone of AI products. I didn’t know it at the time, but that understanding would pave the way to my eventual work in Venture Capital.
My journey took a different turn when I was bitten by the startup bug. The zeal and enthusiasm of my entrepreneurial friends were contagious, and I too yearned to create something of my own. But founding a company proved more challenging than I was expecting. From piecing together a compatible team — one with not just the necessary skills, but a common vision and values — to finding a product-market fit and convincing investors of our viability, every step was a challenge. I felt completely alone. I knew I needed support, but even when I looked for help, I was unable to find the guidance and encouragement to continue. This difficult period ended in the tough decision to stop pursuing my startup goal. What I couldn’t have known at the time was that the end of my journey as a founder was the first step in my journey to helping countless others.
Lessons from Hypergrowth Startups
After my unsuccessful startup attempt, I knew it was time to pivot. In an effort to better understand the world of early-stage companies, I decided to join a successful startup to learn. I eventually arrived at Auth0, a leading player in the identity management space, stepping in as VP of Engineering just as the company was basking in its unicorn status. It was there that I grew the engineering team from 90 to 180, saw revenue skyrocket from $70M to $180M ARR, and played a pivotal role in the monumental $6.5B acquisition by Okta.
All the while, though, that old itch to immerse myself in the AI space still had its hooks in me. Ever since my time at Symantec, I’ve believed that AI is at the forefront of the next wave of innovation. That was why, when the opportunity came to continue my adventure at Socure, a trailblazer in identity verification and fraud detection using machine learning, I knew I couldn’t turn it down. Joining during their Series C round at a $100M valuation, I witnessed and contributed to its exponential growth through subsequent funding rounds, all the way to a $4.5B valuation. Once more, the engineering team doubled under my watch, and revenue soared from $40M to over $100M.
My Pivot to Early-stage Investing
Back in 2018, while I was still working on my startup, I stumbled upon a post on Hacker News about the new Y-Combinator Investor School. Eager to understand how venture capitalists invested in startups, I inadvertently took my first step into the world of angel investing. This hobby soon turned into a passion, fueled by my enthusiasm for collaborating with founders and sharing ideas, as well as my fascination with the innovative products they were creating. Multiple times, founders have told me, “You’re someone who really understands us.” I owe this in part to my technical background and entrepreneurial spirit, and in part to the experiences I’ve had and the mistakes I’ve made. Over the years, I’ve gained significant insights into managing the challenges of the startup journey, including how to successfully scale a company and avoid common pitfalls. Driven by my growing passion for helping founders and interest in machine learning, I began actively investing in startups like Jasper AI. Socure had given me a chance to be involved in AI, but this was my chance to play an active role in shaping it.
Enter WestWave Capital: the resource I wished I could have had during my own startup journey. From the moment I first started here half a year ago, I connected deeply with the firm’s values, specifically its mission to support founders like I once was. Since then, I’ve evaluated hundreds of startups, made my first investment in Supertokens, an open source identity management startup, and worked as a board observer for several portfolio companies, helping them through early growth, GTM, and fundraising. I’m currently developing a thesis on AI and cybersecurity investment, and I’m excited to see where else I can apply the knowledge I’ve gained.
Looking Ahead: Shaping the Future of Innovation
Turning this hobby into my profession has been thrilling. Every day is a chance to discover innovative startups that are redefining the landscape, all of them happening right here and now, at an incredibly fast speed. I continue to believe that AI will change the world over the next five years, and through VC, I’m getting a front-seat view. While my own startup journey didn’t go as planned, the insights I’ve gained have allowed me to accelerate the growth of many other companies, from inception to unicorn status and beyond. I guess you could say it’s a journey of “Been there, done that,” but my excitement has never faded. On the contrary, with every new venture, it grows that much more.
As I continue this adventure with WestWave Capital, I’m eager to share the investment insights and lessons I’ve learned along the way. Stay tuned for more stories from the frontier of innovation and partnership. The adventure has only just begun.
