Karan Mehandru

About Karan Mehandru

I'm a company's war partner, actively fighting with the team to help them win. I work hard to earn their trust by inspiring them to go beyond their perceived limits, by being collaborative and intellectually honest, and by always being available anytime, any day.

What is your investment focus and why?

I take a thematic approach to investing. I'm excited by B2B companies that capitalize on secular trends like consumerization of the enterprise, Software-as-a-Service, AI/ML, and big data. Equally important are the founders themselves. I seek out founders who embody founder/market fit, whose intense, deep-seated understanding of and compassion for their end-users enable them to build products that delight users with superior functionality, usability, personality, and (ultimately) magic.

What unique contributions do you make to companies as a VC?

I seek to be the call CEOs want to make -- not the call they have to make. I consider it a signal of respect for the entrepreneurs and their missions to develop a deep contextual understanding of the company, the team, and the space in which they operate. I adapt to their needs, ranging from CEO counsel to “SaaS metrics expert,” also serving as a resource for hiring, product strategy, financing, marketing and sales. Before becoming a VC in 2007, I spent a decade in go-to-market roles. This background provides a unique lens into understanding the pain points being addressed by their products, as well as a visceral empathy for the challenges they face every day as entrepreneurs.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a VC?

Among the many things that I enjoy and find motivating in this profession, the vast majority tie back to my relationship with my portfolio CEOs. It's beyond gratifying to collaborate on solutions to complex problems in the face of ambiguous information, to work alongside the smartest minds, to share in founders' successes (and failures), and to support them, fight for them, inspire them and celebrate with them as they achieve their professional and personal goals. I'm inspired every day to give my all to my founders as we jointly ride the emotional startup roller coaster together.