How do you think about your new advisor role at Celesta? What do you hope to bring to founders?

I’ve always tried to support young entrepreneurs. At Carnegie Mellon, we started a program to help founders get companies off the ground. I’ve long believed that entrepreneurship is about doing, not just talking. Dreamers have ideas, and that’s important. But great entrepreneurs take those ideas and turn them into action, into products, and bring something into the world that people love.

So my hope is to be useful in practical ways. That may mean offering founders advice, helping them think through strategy, opening doors for them, sitting on boards, or helping them navigate the human and leadership side of company-building.

Talking is cheap and doing is expensive. Founders are in the expensive business of “doing,” and I want to help them do it well.

‍

You’ve already began working with some of Celesta’s portfolio companies. What has stood out so far?

Honestly, one of my first reactions was that I’m not sure I could cut it as an entrepreneur starting out today! These founders are incredibly smart, motivated, and operating with tools that are almost mind-boggling compared to what existed earlier in my career.

The other thing that has stood out is the quality of engagement. The boards are healthy. People challenge each other, but they do it respectfully and constructively. That matters. You want real debate, but you also want a shared commitment to building something durable. So far, it has been a pleasure to see that dynamic in action.

‍

For founders across the portfolio, where do you think you can be most helpful?

If you’re trying to build great products, market them effectively, build your business in Asia, work with government stakeholders, or how to engage with investors, customers, or partnerships: those are all areas where I can help.

A big part of building a company is learning how to manage the people around the company as well as the company itself. Founders have to manage investors, boards, growth, talent, and risk all at once. Having someone beside you whom you trust can make a real difference.

I also believe strongly in maintaining relationships with entrepreneurs whether or not Celesta invests. Some founders may choose another firm. Some may bootstrap. That’s fine. Great relationships compound over time. And one of Celesta’s real strengths is helping founders see the scale inside an idea — not only making big ideas bigger, but sometimes helping uncover how an idea that seems niche could become much more important than it first appears.

‍

‍