Perspectives

Announcing the Zoom Marketplace Competition

October 15, 2019

Create next big company Zoom customers love chance secure 2M Emergence leading venture firms excited announce Marketplace Competition Together Team fellow investors Jim Scheinman Maven Ventures Carl Eschenbach Sequoia Bart Swanson Horizons created encourage support developer community build generation greatness bring life new ideas creativity innovation problem-solving continue deliver happiness every existing user Capital believe strongly Zoom's core mission seen App opened endless opportunities connect apps services improve teams meet communicate Launched stage Zoomtopia 2019 third annual conference early-stage startups leverage platform scale grow audience become valuable member ecosystem extremely passionate supporting effort committed time pledged potential 10 finalists chosen pitch companies partners final selected winner eligible potentially receive 2 million funding addition advisory session senior product experts priority development DTEN D7 55 all-in-one interactive whiteboard 3-year Rooms license Pro licenses 3 years unique special opportunity enthusiastic see outpouring led similar efforts past resulted industry-leading ServiceMax born Force 1M Challenge held Salesforce went leader sold GE 1B recently Machine Learning Google Cloud Data Collective Winners included LiftIgniter BrainSpec PicnicHealth Submissions accepted October 15 March 31 2020 announced Summit Learn eligibility rules website Good Luck

Don’t Let WeWork Bring a Dark Cloud — Enterprise is Still Hot

October 8, 2019

October 2019 talking IPOs speculations delta private vs public valuation driving headlines eyes WeWork's failed IPO prospects encouraging companies thoughtful stay focused margins capital expenditure frankly building enduring company Case point We's largest competitor thriving Enterprise hot see funding news seeing slowdown SaaS cloud investments tech market strong Sweetgreen try blur lines marketing technology attract investors raise valuations Fred Wilson eloquently points businesses high low run serious risk falling financing crisis bullish reach massive scale achieve high-gross lays foundation efficiency vogue late believe builds lucky compounding value close partnering Zoom Veeva Fundamentally healthy unit economics coupled innovative go-to-market strategies Emergence team help build iconic 2020 quickly approaching interested preparing turbulence economy hearing tightening belts spending extremely strategic implementing right set tools technologies equipping Deskless Workforce finding ways AI automation improve productivity order bottom line love hear community strategizing next cycle new industries software thinking augmentation Investment Spotlight Retail Revolution Zipline Kara Egan Santi Subotovsky Era Digital Contracts Arrived invested Ironclad Jake Saper Portfolio Clearbanc Co-founder Michele Romanow spoke Fortune's Powerful Women Summit featured article data Take Gender Bias Entrepreneurs Blend Gusto Welltok Forbes 100 LogDNA Rising Stars Textio named top 50 promising U.S Zipline's customer story BevMo UpKeep 1 Idea Motive's list startups LA acquired Crossix leading patient analytics platform used pharmaceutical marketers Vymo SalesLoft A.I Deal Data-Rich Want Automate Sales back longer conjures feelings lag incumbents September brought highs Cloudflare Datadog continues heights fourth 10B year hit record cloud-based inducted 11-digit club SF-based remain taking home majority state's VC sweeping 45 seed pre-IPO 40 2018 collaboration space heat Dropbox dropped Spaces branded provide teams ability use comment streams relevant file sharing key integrations Slack Trello Suite Flexport deck launch now allowing customers factories reps increased communication LegalTech 1.2B first three quarters 1B Legalist raised 100M announced dynamic contract provider Earlier Luminance 10M Clause secured 5.5M Evisort took 4.5M extract information long seconds start Q4 saw continued late-stage momentum across ML Samsara's closed 300M industrial collect analyze DataRobo's 206M supports Trifacta's Series puts cleaner hands scientists GTM Hire winning 30 Interview Questions found often unconventional conversations uncover needle haystack Become Better Storyteller human response storytelling considered brand narrative reading Joe Floyd General Partner Reboot Leadership Art Growing Jerry Colonna absolutely loved weaves painful stories personal life together insights gleaned professional career intermingling vulnerability makes incredibly willingness share journey self-discovery enabled reflect discoveries books helped truths Takeaways complicit creating conditions say notion focus inward blaming others figured movie billion-dollar CEOs presidents Everyone wants told path pathless exactly need resolve conflict cut emotions saying needs said 2 heard 3

Our Go-To List: 30 Interview Questions

October 2, 2019

Unconventional conversations find needle haystack team always gets asked major catalysts companies fail especially early days supporting GTM strategies witnessed failure often boil Lack focus startups try everyone throwing spaghetti wall waiting see sticks push upmarket soon Staying focused finding product-market fit vital long-term success Hiring wrong people Interviews awkward feel generic right process place lead poor decisions interviewed thousands prospects understand applicant-stack daunting found asking mix questions ones candidate think critically feet dig bit deeper uncover unexpected aspects person's character matters passions drive compiled top foster insightful help hire build winning 30 Interview 1 Skillset Discovery Imagine 5 years now learned taken away experience new skills toolkit highlight reel look role 2 something happy every single day rest career 3 biggest decision make past year big deal 4 five minutes explain complicated know better perfect late good time 6 favorite superhero 7 superpowers 8 wake tomorrow gained skill 9 woke 000 unread emails answer 300 choose Work Culture 10 excites come 11 job made impact today grow 12 sell hot cocoa Florida 13 looking current opportunity offer 14 best manager worked 15 person teammate customer client ever superpower 16 Talk bad professional relationship 17 ask last boss company three words use describe phrases 18 former colleagues say different 19 cultures productive environment experienced 20 attributes negative Go-to-Market 21 Pitch product sold marketed previously 22 23 buyer compel key logos missing allows demonstrate knowledge base value prop 24 competitors incumbents worried 25 share memorable stands experiences 26 aspect Sales Marketing CS interesting Least 27 anything change dream add remove 28 first 60 90 29 reason surprised far conversation starters free worst emergencecap Want Read practices executive employment agreements visit Talent Network

The Era Of Digital Contracts Has Arrived: Why We Invested In Ironclad

September 17, 2019

Think last time signed contract happened key terms stored relevant people know committed often asked questions signing watching static PDF disappear ether Contracts fiat currency business run organizations without economy function standard system collaborating tracking critical data within easy alerted clause invoked process coming renewal Ironclad moving PDFs dynamic digital contracting tectonic shift implications across allows General Counsels higher volume resources finance teams tie dynamically core systems compliance keep closer eye potential risks HR hire less overhead sales close deals faster cases 85 enterprise software-focused investors rare find product spreads organization enables collaboration happen seen products Box Zoom believe years become another iconic platform Indeed favorite heard due diligence team top tech company cited important enablement tool rolled 3 tremendous opportunity leverage created help everyone draft better example able learn certain clauses perform specific situations make recommendations real-time drafted understand tends right person ask input recommend accordingly use AI insights network targeted coaching call phenomenon form part next generation software wife introduced Jason Boehmig Ironclad's CEO back 2015 shared vision turning code excited market gotten caliber co-founder Cai recruited complementing backgrounds lawyer engineer respectively seasoned SaaS leaders riffed value music molding leader give virtuosic cello performance three musicians practice others thoughtfulness built culture anchored well-articulated set values strong focus integrity term winning resonates deeply Emergence's third big long thrilled partner reality

Five Best Practices for Executive Employment Agreements

August 2, 2019

Congratulations made verbal offer rockstar executive better want join startup's journey Boom set next stop moon right Wrong hiring easy caught excitement potential new team member Enthusiastic relationship CEOs often overlook necessity creating secure legally binding compensation plans employment agreements promise positivity ahead go Unfortunately startups unexpected critical draft smart well-devised clear startup grow peace-of-mind everyone understanding matter future brings 1 Execute Agreement Every mutual best interest Company individual executives protect compensation-related disagreements adding termination clauses initial contract Whenever possible entered officially begins said current signed contracts remedy immediately include take form letter formal terms around equity benefits job conditions location important service vary typically straight-forward five pages long senior documents 2 Specify Clearly likely points contention event separation Discretionary incentive pay provide flexibility employer However plan non-discretionary need sure sets bonus commission including rate key earning criteria payment schedules etc condition whereby must employed end earnings period date earn provision allows change annual targets incentivize different behaviors year lay grants necessary board committee approvals required vesting framework rights receive copy prototype bespoke provisions included acceleration stated 3 State Severance at-will gives freedom result ensure properly covered let fault Employers build severance-related language within conditional based upon signing release claims structured forfeited reduced employee violates post-employment obligations 4 Intellectual Property preferably working sign confidential information invention assignment laws differ exactly entail check counsel specifically apply Noncompetition non-solicitation depending ensuring confidentiality penalties breaking loss 5 Focus Writing Clarity Simplicity admittedly fine line concise fully covering bases CEO walk explicitly agreed overly complicated difficult interpret stay compliance local regulations hope use practices providing term Special thank Christopher Carlisle Megan Anderson Gray Plant Mooty contributing expertise blog post

An Emergence Trifecta: Our Investment in Vymo

July 30, 2019

excited welcome Vymo Emergence family led 18M Series financing help mission enable sales teams financial services become Trusted Advisors clients insurance wealth management banking unique challenges frequently field broadly distributed client base must contend significant regulatory red tape trying build strong lifelong relationships customers CRM technology traditionally available sorely lacking without features focused needs Indeed horizontal usage amongst dismal category Veeva changed game pharmaceutical reps aims platform tailor made mobile-first geo-aware makes use contextual data make targeted suggestions next best actions prospect prioritize results thus far spectacular serving 100K across 50 enterprises including global leaders Allianz AXA AIA Generali perhaps importantly critical part day-to-day lives 75 percent Vymo's registered users login take action product every day 3x rate CRMs nearly double best-in-class SaaS apps Slack performing investments started highly engaged user see levels talk behind particularly special investment sits squarely overlap three priority theses Industry Cloud Deskless Workforce Coaching Networks rare Trifecta team extraordinary Co-Founders Yamini Bhat Venkat Malladi founder market fit spent years McKinsey realized addressed smart solutions teamed college friend worked Mobile Maps Google develop solution since recruited experienced passionate globe deliver thrilled partner vision enabling reality

The Twenty Minute VC with Santi Subotovsky

July 15, 2019

realized Venture Capital help build better company decided going move come California join firm learn people make decisions moved 2010 determined talked number firms message given background perfect fit look something else actually gave energy prove wrong kept trying connected Emergence told long term start person want another understand raise money joined Senior Associate failed miserably leaving 9 years thoroughly enjoyed conversation Harry Stebbings 20 Minute VC Podcast covered range topics including journey investor superpowers importance building partnerships future Check

A Retail Revolution: Our Investment in Retail Zipline

May 6, 2019

excited announce Series investment Retail Zipline partnering co-founders Melissa Wong CEO Jeremy Baker CTO team transform 20+ trillion industry Emergence look people changing world works 500M working safely say shy away challenge jump open arms communication execution platform allows physical stores responsive dynamic ensuring executing HQ's vision purpose-built deep understanding empathy employees front lines store managers associates head operations won hearts wallets leading retailers Gap LEGO Lush Cosmetics vocal happy customers investors talk founder-problem fit makes exceptional first met Female Founders Forum events hold support rise early-stage entrepreneurs navigate beginning stages scaling funding business struck Melissa's resolve modernize passionate point view conviction importance visionary 10 years global retailer understood hand challenges today knows going omnichannel tailored unique in-store experiences difference win left behind Fueled partnered product guru bring future life spent decade top trying engage teams make sure delivered solutions available solve communications Co-founder starts incredible leaders dare think differently bigger status quo takes push past current examples leadership harness power diverse talented see immediately upon meeting rethinking location barrier talent ideas motivate care exactly needed reshape come know experience Zoom focused success magic happens let explain bit problem solves example today's deskless workforce little technology job new campaign comes headquarters Old Navy Back School sent page PDF explains timing signage displays set inventory launched dense static often dates laid initial email shift operational mess visibility HQ result estimates 20 sends executed changes introduces clarity confidence Now manager associate gets message app purpose importantly role goal provide kids stylish affordable outfits feel enter year friends build populates daily task list calendar needs execute wading piles paper figure happen Everything done automatically change updated instantly complete transparency throughout whole organization able capitalize insights strategy solution connected brand informed Together become stronger ambassadors salespeople community builders Simply put empowered jobs better leads impact massive immediate bottom line workers among 2.7 billion-person-strong portion sitting desk created deliver engaging on-brand customer giving right tools Kara Egan Principal saved estimated 1M hours getting backroom onto sales floor Another saw increase within pilot improved rates 25 90 best amazing driven engaged Gartner saving 20M annually using walking Union Street heard Lululemon less 30 days talking felt confident day successful 80 turnover magnitude Santi thrilled part journey revolutionize