Venky Ganesan, a managing partner at Menlo Ventures (menlovc.com), discusses everything from his investment philosophy to a book that gives his life meaning.
What’s the best business advice you ever received?
My first manager at McKinsey told me that the secret to succeeding in business is understanding that it’s all about the people. If you take care of the people, the business will take care of itself.
What’s the first thing you do every morning to set the tone for your day?
I take five minutes to visualize my day and think about what I want to get done. I make sure to end that reflective time by practicing gratitude for the opportunity the day presents to me and for the incredible love I have in my life.
If you could describe your investment philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?
Go all in on AI with the best humans I can find.
What’s the best biz investment you ever made?
Joining Menlo Ventures in 2013 as a partner.
What resource do you keep coming back to for inspiration?
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl (1946, Beacon Press). The key message is to always focus on the things I can control and let go of the things I cannot.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be intentional in everything and realize that less is more. With friends, goals or things, it’s much better to have a small, deep and meaningful number than a large number of shallow and mediocre ones.