To be a good investor, you have to think differently from others.
Kirsten Green
In 1990, if I wanted a pair of Calvin Klein jeans I had seen in a magazine, I'd head to the mall, sift through piles of inventory to find my size, try them on, ask the opinion of the often inexperienced sales associate, wait in line to check out, pay, and head home. The process was linear and ripe for improvement.
I'd like to think my strengths are in connecting with people and the relationship aspect of this business.
Wouldn't it be so cool if we could use the Internet to build a better beauty brand?
I optimize for brands and people I enjoy spending time with - we've invested in Warby Parker, Glossier, Outdoor Voices, Bonobos - because if you're having a good time, you're inherently going to be better at what you're doing. Even the bad times are tolerable when you're working alongside people you respect and like.
Mascara is the only makeup I actually care about - I've tried them all. I use Diorshow when I'm trying to be fancy, but for every day, I use Blinc.
People need role models, and they need to feel that there's this opportunity to learn. They need to have people that will stick up for them. I want to be a part of that.
The customer wants what the customer wants - when they want it, where they want it, and how they want it. And if you want to build a big business, and you want to be meaningful to a big, broad group of customers, you need to think about how you're going to meet them in the various places where they might expect to see you.
My face wash is the thing I care about the most. I don't think I've ever gone to bed without washing my face. I switch it up. I use Obagi Nu-Derm Gentle Cleanser or Lait U Biologique Recherche in the morning or at night.
I am giddy with enthusiasm when my companies are doing well. And my heart hurts when they're not. Maybe that sounds very cheesy, but that's the reality of my life right now.
We need to have more women founders stepping up to kind of own their own story and ask for what they want and tell success stories and start really building confidence that these stories are out there.
Last-mile efficiencies is a big trend. It's something that consumers have demonstrated that they want and existing businesses are trying to figure out and new businesses are rising up to.
We never invest in a male; we never invest in a female. We just invest in the right entrepreneur.
I was a woman and younger. I started spending a lot of time in the mall doing a lot of qualitative research and really watching what consumers were doing. Were they gravitating towards the sales racks, or were they looking at the new fashions? Were they there to shop, or were they there to socialize?
Most things that people want already exist, and with Amazon or eBay, there is always someone who is willing to undercut your price.
I don't have a gender thesis. I am truly optimizing for the right person for the task, whether that means running a company or working on my team.
With the way Amazon and eBay had become big companies and with the way people were embracing technology, I was like, it is so obvious that this is going to be a huge game changer in this space. The combination of these things is going to change what it means to retail, what it means to launch brands, what it means to connect with your consumer.
The way I shop and the way I engage with my wardrobe, those experiences don't come to life on Amazon's platform.
So many entrepreneurs view their companies as their babies. They micromanage, and they stall.
One thing that is unique to Stadium Goods is that they have a consolidated view of everything that is going on in the footwear ecosystem because they are connecting with customers, both buyers and sellers of sneakers, in so many different places.
Retail is undergoing a massive change, and there is a chance for new leaders to emerge and older brands to reinvent themselves.
Retail is now totally propelled by consumers and their needs. People can buy what they want in any way that they want it. That trend started a long time ago, and it has really changed everything.
As I get older, I feel like I look better with less makeup. More makeup just creases more and looks like you tried too hard to cover up a bunch of stuff, versus 'OK, I've got decent skin, and that's what I'm going with.'
I don't love it when people come in and say, 'We need a woman on our board,' or 'Can you invest in this new shopping app because you like to shop?' But whatever gets me in the deal.
In 2010 - after raising capital to launch Forerunner Ventures - we aimed to invest in companies targeting digitally savvy customers looking to be delighted by experiences and founded by visionary leaders committed to leveraging data and quantifying the results.
