Jeremy Liew

Jeremy is a Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, joining in 2006 as the firm’s first consumer specialist, focusing on massive-scale social media, commerce, new media, and financial services.

Jeremy has funded several companies that have since been acquired or gone public, most notably Snapchat, where he made the first investment. It’s a track record that has landed him on the Forbes Midas List multiple times.

On this first hour of his day.

Wake up around 6, shower, clear some email, get the kids fed and ready for school. Usually in the office by 8:30 or 9.

I try to get in a work out two mornings a week, and we have a shower in our office which makes it super convenient.

I generally don't eat breakfast, but will have to grab a diet coke — not super healthy but need the caffeine and don't like coffee!

On information consumption.

I aspire to read widely but fail. I generally consume information through newsletters, short-form blogs, and twitter.

I focus on consumer investing so rely on thoughtful journalists like Taylor Lorenz (NYT) and operators like Emily Singer (Chips N Dip) who have their finger on the pulse of consumer behavior.

Other notable mentions to my partner Alex Taussig's Drinking from the Firehose, Stratechery, Axios/Dan Primack and various automated article aggregators from Pocket and Nuzzel.

On prioritizing high-value activities.

Daily time allocation varies among internal meetings, spending time with portfolio companies, pitch meetings, and networking.

Mondays are spent in internal partner meetings, and the balance of the weeks’ meetings are split roughly one third with the portfolio and two thirds with potential new investments (incorporating both networking and pitch meetings), with some of these meetings happening in another city each week.

I average about two to three hours per day answering email, reviewing pitch decks (only about 10–20% of pitch decks will result in a call or meeting to learn more) and doing analysis or research on companies or industries that we find interesting.

I receive about 100 — 150 emails per day & send about half as many.  

As for habits, I am diligent about my inbox and aspire to zero it out every evening after the kids go to bed.

I do my best to get home in time for dinner with the family and even succeed 2 — 3 times during the week.

On advice to founders.

Firstly on imposter syndrome, no one knows what they are doing, so don't sweat it too much. Most decisions are reversible, so make the best call that you can, and if it ends up being wrong, then change it. NBD. 

Secondly, it's ok for some stuff to hit the floor. There aren't enough hours to be on top of everything. But there are a few things, perhaps 3 — 5, that can't hit the floor. In fact, they have to be excellent.

Focus on those things, either by doing them yourself or by keeping close tabs on the team that is doing it. What founders pay attention to tend to get done very well.

Thirdly, take some time to destress now and again. That can be a week vacation, it can be an occasional weekend of genuine relaxation with friends/family (without checking email every hour), it can be a regular workout or hobby schedule.

The mind needs some empty space, and often it's those times that genuine breakthrough ideas happen.

On dealing with overwhelm.

I value my workouts as a way to not think about work now and again.

Playing with my kids does this also, although I'm not always as present with them as I or they would like.

I'm probably not the best person to give advice on this as there are definitely times when I do get overwhelmed and simply resolve to work through it, which isn't the healthiest approach.

Work can be infinite if you let it.

On his nightly routine.

After we put the kids to bed, I (like most everyone I know!) get back on email and try to clear out my inbox.

I aim for but don't always hit one business day response time on all emails. I'm usually working through it from 8:30 to about 11:30 until I get the inbox down to a manageable level.