Founder, Co-Founder and General Partner
Clint Chao
Co-Founder and General Partner of Moment Ventures, an early stage VC in Palo Alto. We invest in startups building the Future of Work.
Co-Founder and General Partner of Moment Ventures, an early stage VC in Palo Alto. We invest in startups building the Future of Work.
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Education
About
Achievements
Starting two VC firms with institutional LP backing from scratch are my most proud and humble accomplishments. I've been very fortunate to associate with some terrific entrepreneurs, and am most grateful for having the support of amazing investors.
I spent my whole career as a sales and marketing guy at various tech start-ups, and the reason I jumped over to the venture capital side is that I've always thought that this experience would serve me and the companies I invest in well. At the end of the day, having the best technology doesn't always guarantee you a win, but having the most customers does!
Describe the most impressive thing you've done.
Skills
What I'm Looking For
Startups who create innovative business & technology platforms to drive innovation within & across vertical industries: tech, education, food, logistics, e-commerce. Areas of interest: AI, labor optimization, supply chain optimization, connected cars, security, marketplaces, IoT, robots, logistics
Describe what you're looking for in a company.
Locations
Q&A
What's the most useful business-related book you've ever read?
Biz books: The Upstarts (Brad Stone), Irresistible (Adam Alter), Blueprint to a Billion (David Thompson), Everybody Lies (Seth Stephens-Davidowitz), White Working Class (Joan Williams), How We Got to Now (Steven Johnson), Hit Makers (Derek Thompson)
What's your favorite non-business book?
Non-biz books: American Roulette (Richard Marcus), Fuzzie & the Techie (Scott Hartley), My Life Behind the Spiral (Steve Young), Walt Disney (Neal Gabler), Ghost in the Wires (Kevin Mitnick), Shoe Dog (Phil Knight), Boys in the Boat (Daniel Brown)
What's the best way for people to get in touch with you?
Through a thoughtful introduction from a common connection (double opt-in appreciated)
What aspects of your work are you most passionate about?
I love working with early founding teams with market facing issues: company/product positioning, customer strategy, sales & marketing approach, financing strategy, competitive landscape, business development relationships
What's your super power?
Not a super power, but I do like distilling a complex value proposition into a set of words that anyone can understand and appreciate
What words of wisdom do you live by?
A person cannot be an asshole and a customer at the same time. Decide carefully!
What's something you wish you had done years earlier?
I wish I had taken a gap year between college and career
What was the most impactful class you took in school?
Ironically, it was everything I did outside of class that remains the most memorable and impactful
What's an obstacle you've overcome?
Not knowing a thing about VC before launching my first fund. All I did was exercise my intuition around the logic and efficiency of startup sales & marketing, and ask myself if a company could run the table if they were right in their conviction
What words of advice would you give your younger self?
Listen to your parents and then do what your heart tells you to do
Which founders or startups do you most admire?
Currently: Stripe, Impossible Foods, Tesla (not a startup, I know, but mad respect!)
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