Being able to access that Stanford alumni network was huge - I actually interned at PayPal while I was at Stanford and learned a lot. Being in that environment and learning about it as a student was really fun.

Our philosophy at 8VC is that many of the companies that present the greatest economic opportunities also create the greatest value for society.

Marketing is your battle plan for the sales team - it's about defining the landscape. Marketing is doing cohort analysis and understanding exactly what possible customers are out there. It's understanding not only which customers will respond to what messages, but also how customers will become clients if you include certain product features.

Our best and brightest must conceive of themselves as stewards of our society and confront the critical challenges of our time. It's the best bet for our society, for entrepreneurs, and for the investors who believe in them.

There have been times in my career when people thought I was a pushover, especially as they saw me as this smiley guy.

One consistent thing in an otherwise inconsistent career is that I've always been passionate about parliament.

Frankly, writing poetry for children is plain old fun, and I consider myself blessed to have such a delightful career.

I just appreciate still having the longevity that I've had in my career.