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Brett Berson
Partner at First Round Capital
Brett Berson is a Partner at First Round Capital, a prominent venture capital firm based in San Francisco. He has been with the firm since 2008, starting as an intern and progressively advancing through various roles, including Associate and Vice President, before becoming a Partner in September 2016. His experience at First Round spans over 15 years, during which he has played a crucial role in supporting and investing in startups, particularly in the pre-seed and seed stages.13
Education and Early Career
Berson graduated from New York University with a Bachelor's degree, majoring in Economics and Film. His background in film has been beneficial in creating engaging content for the firm, including holiday videos that have garnered significant attention.3
Investment Focus
At First Round Capital, Berson focuses on investments ranging from $100,000 to $12 million, with a sweet spot around $3.5 million. He is involved in various initiatives aimed at supporting entrepreneurs, such as the First Round Review and Pitch Assist, which help founders refine their pitches for funding.13
Berson's contributions to the venture capital community have been recognized, including being named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in venture capital in 2015. His work emphasizes a "founder-first" mentality, aiming to provide exceptional support to the startups he invests in.32
Highlights
"One thing I’ve learned from @bipulsinha (Co-Founder & CEO @rubrikInc ) that’s now embedded in how I operate, is the importance of having one killer, differentiating feature that you can sell from the start. It’s about doing one thing radically better than anyone else. Even if you’re missing 80% of the features competitors have, if you can deliver that one wow factor and create belief in your roadmap, that’s what creates the magic. That’s what gets the customer say, ‘I’m buying for this one capability, and I trust you’ll deliver the rest.’”
I've been a huge fan of @annekagupta's for a long time. It was so much fun to have her on @firstround "In Depth." We cover everything from building product teams to developing commercial taste. Checkout our entire conversation in the comments below.
