— By Nicole Quinn & Alex Taussig
It’s not every job where you get to choose and love who you work with. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be part of an amazing team, the consumer group at Lightspeed, who I consider my family.
Mercedes, Jeremy, and Alex are not only my colleagues, they’re also mentors, role models, and friends. Over the years we’ve partnered with founders through both their highs — billion dollar exits and successes — and lows — closing shop, pivoting, weathering a global pandemic. From Affirm to Calm to Faire, we invest in consumer in the broadest sense of the word, so no two days are ever alike.
Now we’re looking for the next member to join our consumer crew, and we’ve chosen to open up the recruiting process in order to see a more diverse set of candidates in this process.
We want a teammate who has logged time within a top consumer technology startup and is hungry to master the investment side of the business. The person we hire will learn how to identify high potential startups, conduct due diligence, manage deal flow, grow their personal network, and establish a strong professional identity. And they’ll have an experienced Lightspeed investor to sponsor and guide them on their journey.
To read the job description and apply, click here.
I am confident that whomever we end up hiring will be an extraordinary individual. Our next team member will need to possess an unusual mix of attributes. Here’s the kind of person we’re looking for…
You live and breathe popular culture.
This job affords you the opportunity to be a small part of shaping popular culture. We’ve learned from our partnership with companies like Snap, Giphy, Cameo, and Epic Games that technology entrepreneurs are some of the most potent culture carriers in the world; you will get the opportunity to support them on the company building journey.
You need to be a keen observer of consumer behavior with the ability to spot potential trends before they’re fully formed. We get involved from first check in or even incubation, as we did with Lady Gaga, and hold through IPO, as we did recently with Max Levchin at Affirm and Jessica Alba at Honest Co.
You’re deeply curious and open to new ideas.
To do this job well, you need insatiable curiosity as well as an analytical mind, and a fierce appetite for new or unusual ideas, combined with the willingness to take risks. It’s not enough to think outside the box; we’re looking for someone who wants to build a better box, or question whether we need a box at all.
You like diving in and getting your hands dirty.
This is not a job for the shy or the passive. We engage directly with our portfolio companies as problem solvers, advisors, and mentors. We don’t look over the shoulders of our founders, but we do offer them a shoulder to cry on and a helping hand when they need it.
You’re a relationship builder.
You’re a charismatic and dynamic individual, with the ability to build and sustain relationships. Ideally you have a burgeoning network of your own and can introduce Lightspeed to promising startups and people who you believe are exceptional. If you don’t yet have a strong network, then a Lunchclub every day will quickly help there!
You’re a whole human being.
Lightspeed is a collective of strong-minded individuals with diverse backgrounds and unique points of view. We don’t always agree, but we are aligned — we respect and value each other’s opinions and use them to sharpen our own.
Likewise, you must have the ability to think independently, but also thrive as part of a team. We’re looking for someone who is empathetic and humble, knowledgeable, but also aware how much more there is to learn.
We’ll be spending a lot of time around each other: in the office when we all return, on site with our portfolio companies, at group dinners, and, of course, on Zoom. That dynamic wouldn’t work if we didn’t genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
You’re only just getting started.
Ideally, you have a growth mindset and are focused on wanting to be the best investor you can possibly be. The team at Lightspeed will be here to set you up for success. We hope you will grow within the partnership for years to come.
As we add to the team, one of Lightspeed’s core missions is to make the world of technology startups more diverse, inclusive, and equitable for everyone. I hope you’ll consider joining us.
☞ Visit lsvp.com Work With Us for more info.
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