Design in Venture Capital

Chapter 1. Design in Venture Capital

Introduction

“How can I get a job like yours?” “How do you spend your time?” “What does a design partner in a venture capital firm do?” The frequency of these questions posed to me since joining Khosla Ventures two years ago prompted me to write this report. The role of design partner inside venture capital (VC) firms is still relatively new and undefined, with a little more than a handful of people holding this job title on Sand Hill Road. That prominent VC firms with multimillion-dollar portfolios would want to include designers as partners strikes many as a validating sign that design has finally arrived: entrepreneurs and investors value design so much that they want designers involved during the most formative stages of a company’s development. So, it’s no surprise that there would be considerable curiosity, interest, and excitement about this role as a possible career choice for designers.

My goals in writing this report are threefold:

1. To clarify and articulate what this role means to designers, investors, and entrepreneurs

2. To understand what my colleagues at other VC firms with a similar job title are doing

3. To answer commonly asked questions about the emerging role of design partner for curious parties

Rather than have my own personal experience be the definitive, authoritative voice on what being a design partner in a venture firm looks like, I sought to include multiple voices and perspectives from others who hold similar roles. ...