Jerry Lu

Origin Story: In a couple sentences, how would you describe your path to becoming an investor?

Like most people, my path into venture was unconventional. I was exposed to venture as I was helping out ex-Googlers looking to raise their first institutional round. Through the process of helping them with their pitches and introducing them to other investors, I got more embedded in the ecosystem, which led me into working in the industry.
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Investment Approach: What are the key factors you consider when evaluating a founding team?

One of the things I look for is passion-market fit, mission-driven founders who are working to solve a problem because they either worked in the industry and saw how terrible things were or have devoted their entire life to research and fix that difficult problem.
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What's your style and approach when it comes to working with founders post-investment? What are the characteristics of founders you've worked well with?

I do what I’m asked to do as best as I can and try to be direct, honest, and a great communicator. The fact that founders consistently say I’ve been a help is the main thing I care about.

Founders I’ve worked well with have a growth mindset, never settling for good enough, and don’t consider themselves too good to do something because it “isn’t their job.”

If I'm coming to pitch to you or your firm, what's the one piece of advice you'd give me?

It’s important to think about the milestones you need to achieve to get to the next round of funding. You’ll need to present your vision of the company and outline the 1-, 2-, and 5-year plan for achieving that goal.
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How would you describe your own personal mission and values, and how do they impact the way you invest?

My core values center around having high standards for honesty, being endlessly curious (having nuanced perspectives) and focusing on the long-term for which are qualities that I hope to look for in founders as well.
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What do you like best about investing in NYC, and what’s your outlook on the future of NYC tech?

What I love best about investing in NYC is that it’s the perfect mix of entrepreneurship and creative culture, all surrounded by a diverse ecosystem of talent, people, and industries.

As we start to see people prioritize choice of city over company, I expect to see more people choose to live in NY, which will only contribute to the shared knowledge and growing network effect that has been so deeply embedded in other successful tech cities.