Joining USV – Nikhil

I am incredibly excited to be joining Union Square Ventures as an analyst on our investment team. Prior to USV, I was part of the founding team at Daffy, where I helped build a fintech tool focused on increasing charitable giving. Before that, at Google, I created mobile ads products and got to experience the rapid evolution of programmatic advertising. My varied experiences as an engineer and operator have shaped my views both tactically – on how to develop user-centric products from scratch and at scale – as well as philosophically – on where the internet is headed.

My first few weeks at USV have, in some ways, had a surprising resemblance to the highlights of my past. The tinkering feels like when I first learned programming in high school. The open ended explorations are reminiscent of my undergraduate studies. The multi-perspective, morphing conversations around technology remind me of my last four years in San Francisco. But, more than anything, I am drawn to the continuous novelty. The context switching across domains and problem types is relentless, the expertise and energy founders bring to the table is inspiring. And getting to work in person in New York is, unironically, magical.

Investing in technology at this moment in time is particularly compelling. Markets have reset and emergent technologies such as generative AI and decentralized systems are maturing rapidly – and our interactions with these technologies, from prompt engineering to NFTs, feel as playful and captivating as ever. At the same time, some of the most pressing crises of our generation, like climate and mental health, feel as acute as ever. To that end, I’m grateful to be able to operate as a generalist, guided by our climate and core theses, and even more grateful to be able to support diverse founders building audacious and creative solutions to problems.

Please reach out on twitter (@uninsightful) or to [nikhil @ usv.com] if you want to chat about what you’re playing with, excited by, or building!