Homebrew was founded in 2013 to resurrect the original model of small-batch venture capital investing in early stage companies: we make a handful of investments each year and concentrate our capital, sweat and reputation behind those founders. We’re two partners (Satya and Hunter), a Head of Talent and an Operations Manager, based in SF’s South Park neighborhood. Our interests are varied, as you can tell from our portfolio — spanning consumer and enterprise, hardware and software, transforming legacy industries and building new ones. But our approach is focused, as Satya outlines about our “how” and Hunter writes about our “why”.
As we approach our six year anniversary, we want to add another team member with the two points below in mind.
Our goal is to be very inclusive in this search, truly welcoming people from different backgrounds and perspectives into the process. We do have a notion of the experience set we want this team member to bring to the firm, and understand that this itself is narrowing, but we’re open to hearing from folks who don’t “pattern match” for VC.
We don’t have a job title for this role because we believe, especially as an early stage fund with a close-knit team, this would be limiting in how candidates perceive the opportunity, which we regard as having very few boundaries. Analyst? Principal? Director of Platform? Head of Network? You’ll see that part of the application is telling us what you think the position should be called. We also want you to care more about the impact you’re going to have here and our commitment to you than screening first by title. We care deeply about the ethics and values of anyone we add to our team.
Responsibilities and Opportunities
You’ll be working with Hunter and Satya in and around the investment process. This will include assisting on market research, company diligence and special projects to identify founders we’d love to support. You won’t be a pre-partner meeting filter (i.e., we’re not tossing you into the haystack to look for needles).
Post-investment we’ll ask you to participate or lead a variety of activities in helping us support the founders we’ve backed. This includes facilitating introductions, completing data analyses, community building and so on. You’ll develop direct relationships with the founders we’ve backed.
You’ll also get involved in a host of activities related to the operations of Homebrew and our funds. You’ll learn the ins and outs of not just investing, but also managing a fund.
Assume these responsibilities represent the floor, not the ceiling. We’re interested in your ideas once you’re on board.
Compared to the “Average Venture Capital Job,” you’ll generally get more of some things and less of others:
More
Seat at the Table: You’ll participate in our twice-weekly Partner meetings. Not just for portions or when “your deal” is being discussed. You’ll meet and interact with our Limited Partners, the institutions that provide us with capital to invest.
Skin in the Game: You’ll earn carry in Homebrew III as part of your compensation. We believe that a sense of ownership is essential and all employees at Homebrew directly share in the upside of the work we do.
Prep for the Future: We believe in open conversations about career development. As this role isn’t meant to be longer than three years, we’ll honestly engage you in professional development over time to ensure that you’re using your time with us to develop skills, experiences and a network relevant to what you might want to do next. We’ve managed organizations of hundreds of people during our operating careers. Many of those people have gone on to be founders, technology executives and venture capitalists.
Less
We want to give you the freedom to develop and run your own playbook to succeed in this role. But we also feel it’s important to make our standard practices clear enough to help you decide if Homebrew is the right firm for you.
Conferences and Events: We tend to focus on smaller gatherings that serve a specific purpose, such as sharing lessons, talking honestly about the entrepreneurial journey or fostering community and mentorship amongst the companies we back. We don’t attend many of the large conferences but will support your participation in what we’d call “nook and cranny” events — places where different groups of thinkers, explorers, underrepresented segments and so on, collaborate together.
Check Writing: This isn’t explicitly a sourcing and investing role. While you’ll be involved in all aspects of the investment lifecycle, this isn’t a Partner track role where we give you a small amount of money to invest and then reward you with more investment authority over time.
International Exposure: While we believe there’s lots to learn from the way international communities are creating and adopting technology, this isn’t a role where you’ll be abroad substantially. If you want to propose a project which requires this sort of travel, we’re happy to consider it, but if you’re really looking for in-depth exposure to non-US/Canada territories, our firm likely isn’t the right one for you.
This is the Right Opportunity For:
Someone with 3–6 years of relevant work experiences/exposure to tech startups or high-performing companies of any industry (we believe in cross-pollination). We’re open to folks who started their careers in management consulting or investment banking, but it’s important to us that you have a demonstrated love for technology and entrepreneurship that has been expressed in ways outside of your day job.
Someone who thrives in an independent working environment, using your best judgment, high ethical standards, strong communication skills, passion and adeptness with technology (with or without formal training) to execute the Homebrew model.
Someone who wants exposure to venture capital (or at least our style of it) through an apprenticeship-type role but isn’t necessarily committed to the industry long term.
Someone who colors outside of the lines drawn above but still has a deep desire to learn the venture capital business.
How to Apply
Please complete the application found here by November 10, 2018. We may invite candidates to interview on a rolling basis but all applications submitted by November 10th will be considered. The start date for the position is no later than January 7, 2019.
In Closing
We want to meet a broad set of candidates and run an inclusive process. If something here prompts a question or concern for you, please contact us at jobs@homebrew.co to share your feedback. Thanks for your interest in joining the Homebrew team!
