The end of an era

It’s hard to believe, but this is my last month at Matrix. After nearly 4.5 years of working side by side with founders and learning every day from my partners, come June I’ll be back to startupland myself.

When Matrix first reached out about the chance to join the investing team, it was the summer of 2020 and I was gearing up to have my second child—my pandemic baby. I’ll never forget my first call with Antonio, which landed the day before my due date. His easy warmth, genuine curiosity, and frank insight were a breath of fresh air; he even laughed when I teased him by asking what it felt like to be in a “terminal role.” I didn’t know much about VC, but I knew I wanted to grow up to be more like him.

Over the next few months, I peppered my maternity leave with calls getting to know more and more of the team at Matrix, and the impression held: these were my people. All former founders and product leaders from startups, I admired their ability to cut through complexity and ask the right question at the right time. By Thanksgiving, the decision was clear. If I didn’t go for it, I’d always wonder; opportunities like Matrix don’t come around every day. I shared the news with the team back at Quip / Salesforce, and in January 2021 I joined the partnership at Matrix as one of eight investors leading concept through Series A rounds out of our eleventh fund.

Four and a half years later and now with our twelfth fund underway, I’m so glad I went for it. The team at Matrix is truly WYSIWYG: what you see is what you get. And being there for founders through thick and thin is the hardest and most fun job I’ve ever had. To Antonio, Dana, Stan, Ilya, Pat, TJ, Matt, Kojo, Scott, and Andrea—thank you for betting on me. To Jake, thank you for being the best office neighbor, and to Greta and Hilary—thank you for keeping everything running smoothly and planning the best parties. And to all the founders I’ve worked with—thank you for the chance to be a part of your story. You’re in good hands with Matrix, and I can’t wait to see all that you build next.

Up next, a chance to put some of what I’ve learned at Matrix into practice. Excited to share more soon!