I am currently an investor. I'm a Venture Advisor to GGV Capital, and I manage three funds I've created called Haystack, which is proud to be an early investors in over 70 companies, such as Instacart, DoorDash, Hired, Coin, Navdy, Managed By Q, and many others. In the past, I have been a formal paid consultant to a handful of VC firms ncluding General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Trinity Ventures, Bullpen Capital, and GGV Capital.
Before moving into investing full-time, I worked on product and product marketing at Swell (by Concept.io) for almost two years, until the company was acquired by Apple. Prior to that, I spent six (6) months in 2012 as an EIR with Javelin Venture Partners, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm investing in software startups for consumers and the enterprise, as well as in cloud technologies and infrastructure. Prior to this, I've held operational roles at Votizen and Rexly (acquired by Live Nation) and was an Official Columnist at TechCrunch from January 2011 to April 2014, where I wrote a weekly column on Sundays ("Iterations") and created a weekly television show on Thursdays ("In the Studio)," where I host founders, operators, and seed-stage and venture capital investors in the TechCrunch TV Studios. I have written extensively on the forces changing high-technology venture capital, how the industry is transforming, and consumer-facing and enterprise IT technologies. For more information, please visit: www.semilshah.com/about
Product Marketing & Distribution @ Early advisor and employee at Concept.io (Swell) and since 2013 focused on product marketing and distribution for mobile applications. Swell was acquired by Apple in August 2014. From January 2013 to August 2014 (1 year 8 months) Official Columnist @ I was a an Official Columnist at TechCrunch since January 2011, where I wrote a weekly column on Sundays ("Iterations") and produced a weekly television show on Thursdays ("In the Studio)," where I hosted founders, operators, and seed-stage and venture capital investors in the TechCrunch TV Studios. I have written extensively on the forces changing high-technology venture capital, how the industry is transforming, and consumer-facing and enterprise IT technologies. For more information, please visit: blog.semilshah.com From January 2011 to April 2014 (3 years 4 months) Mobile, Growth, and Operational Consultant @ I am currently an independent consultant working on mobile growth with a small handful of early-stage, venture-backed companies. For more information, please visit: blog.semilshah.com From December 2012 to June 2013 (7 months) Executive-in-Residence @ I focused my time at Javelin Venture Partners on sourcing, evaluating, performing diligence, and participating in the investment decision-making process, as well as spending time with a handful of early-stage portfolio companies that were either about to raise Series A financing and/or were trying to determine the most scalable growth strategy: www.javelinvp.com From June 2012 to December 2012 (7 months) San Francisco Bay AreaHead of Operations @ At Votizen, I focused on all non-technical operations for the company such as online and offline marketing, distribution channels, partnerships, and extensive public relations, as well as securing press coverage. From November 2011 to June 2012 (8 months) Head of Operations @ In charge of operations, mainly focused on fundraising syndicate, all public relations, press work, product feedback, and helping guide the company as an advisor through its acquisition by Live Nation in mid-2012. From August 2011 to November 2011 (4 months) San Francisco Bay AreaOperations Consulting @ I founded India Strategy Consulting (ISC), a boutique consultancy that specialized in helping U.S.-based companies seeking to harness resources and opportunities in India. We provided strategic frameworks, industrial expertise, and cross-border networks in industry, academia, and government to accelerate and improve our clients’ competitive position. Additionally, we provided practical advice with respect to market entry, pricing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and emerging market growth strategies.
Our clients—typically chief executives and senior directors of strategy at small to medium enterprises and institutions—seek to serve both traditional constituencies and new markets in a variety of industries, ranging from biotechnology, life sciences, and health care delivery to alternative energy. We also selectively advised organizations based in India that have global ambitions and provide discreet subcontracting services for larger consulting firms. From September 2006 to December 2009 (3 years 4 months) Operations Consultant (for Harvard University) @ Consultant to Harvard University and the Government of India an institutional, cross-border, multi-year executive education partnership with the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, where he provided consulting services in program design and the development and implementation of technical and adaptive exercises in market access, infrastructure, management, and finance for senior secretaries in the Government of India’s Administrative Service (IAS) From September 2006 to June 2008 (1 year 10 months) Economic Operations Consultant @ Authored the design and scenario modeling analysis investigating the long-term effects of increased containerization of tradable goods from India on the Port of Boston for Massport. From May 2007 to August 2007 (4 months) Director of Operations and Business Development @ Designed financial education courseware and negotiated licenses with brokerages/banks ($0.5M). Contributed research for National Bureau for Economic Research’s The Shared Capitalism Project. Created and launched nationwide speaker through HBS Press at leading business schools. Co-authored book on ownership structures; edited book on communications (50,000 circ.). Authored case studies analyzing international incentive-systems for private sector managers, and reported on regulatory and tax treatment of equity instruments in emerging markets. Developed story on employee ownership for The Economist ( Mar. 27, 2003; “A Capital Idea”). From July 2002 to July 2006 (4 years 1 month) San Francisco Bay Area
Master's, Economic Development and Strategy @ Harvard University From 2006 to 2008 BA, History @ University of Michigan From 1995 to 1999 Semil Shah is skilled in: Venture Capital, Start-ups, Growth Strategies, Quora, Interviews, Mergers & Acquisitions, Leadership, Program Management, Management Consulting, Strategy, Management, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations, Fundraising, Nonprofits, Marketing Strategy, Mobile Devices, Product Marketing
Websites:
http://blog.semilshah.com/about,
http://blog.semilshah.com,
http://www.quora.com/semil-shah