I’m an entrepreneur, operator, and investor. I cofounded my first internet company in 1997 (eToys.com), which went up (and then came down) really fast. I’ve founded two other companies and have been CEO of four companies. Through these experiences, the truth for me is that start-ups are hard. I wish I knew then what I’ve learned through blood and sweat, through failure as much as success. I’ve transitioned from starting and running companies to helping others as an advisor, consultant, or investor. There are many blindspots on the start-up road. I help CEO’s/founders anticipate them and prepare. Raising money is challenging for many and it’s easy to get lost in fundraising. While I’ve raised over $150 million from VCs, I know it was hard for me and hard on me. By helping teams understand the venture capital process and be economical with their efforts, they can achieve better outcomes. I generally engage as a founder-friendly advisor and confidante. Whether it’s managing the board and having productive board meetings OR thinking through whether to shoot for growth vs. unit economics OR how to deal with management team issues OR planning for an economic downturn, these are all things I’ve had to navigate, often multiple times. I like to think of myself as a high-integrity, low-ego personality and hope I’m pretty easy to build trust with.I’m a passionate golf enthusiast as well as a hardcore music and movie nerd. I serve on the board of the Stanford Golf Course’s Men’s Club and a Course Rater for Golf Digest Magazine. I've tried to catalog every movie I can remember seing on Letterboxd (love Letterboxd!) and I'm up to 1,700!