At Google, I helped launch several businesses very quickly, including AdWords Express and Google Offers.

We had to build the airplane as it was flying, so to speak. This experience has helped me empathize with growth stage founders since I’ve lived their reality myself.

During my time at Google and CapitalG, I’ve learned to look beyond the obvious and to identify companies with room to scale.

I’ve seen first-hand the value of businesses that combine compelling vision with winning teams of grizzled veterans and diverse, creative thinkers.

I love scaling businesses. I relish partnering with entrepreneurs who have discovered something incredible and want to take it further.

There are many elements to scaling a business, and they all depend on a fundamental shift in thinking. It’s not about surviving, or replicating success. It’s about focus--on what to prioritize, who to have on your team and how to structure your organization.

Helping companies make that critical step change is what excites me, everyday.

Early stage businesses work exhaustively to land on something that works. Mature businesses know what works and turn the dials to make it work better.

The growth stage sits right in the middle. It requires data and intuition. To determine the best next step, you need to ask the right questions and interpret data in the right way. But you also need to be creative, by making educated guesses and trusting your hypotheses.

I love partnering with startup leaders as they balance this important tension.

Looking at partnerships from a human lens is key; I would never want to take a transactional approach with anyone I advise. At CapitalG I’m freed to partner with leaders in a purposeful, focused way so that I can truly dig into their businesses and add meaningful value.

I don’t use a one-advice-fits-all approach. Entrepreneurs have countless advisors, and they need to be confident that I’m bringing a perspective they can’t get anywhere else. To add value, I focus on the specific gaps my expertise can fill.

I look for people who can impart their vision on everyone with whom they work. An inspiring leader attracts the best kind of talent. You want someone charismatic and passionate about their product.

But they also have to be a good person who you want to work with every day. This type of leader can be difficult to find, but they’re often the ones behind the multibillion-dollar companies that endure.