Sarah Tavel
Partner at Benchmark
Sarah Tavel is a partner at Benchmark, one of the most preeminent VC funds, focusing on consumer and marketplace startups. She was the first product manager at Pinterest and thinks like a product/growth leader despite her VC role.
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Key Themes
Episode Summary
Sarah Tavel, partner at Benchmark and first PM at Pinterest, shares her framework for evaluating markets: think of them as currents rather than bodies of water, where the dynamics of change matter more than total size. She explains why market momentum pulls companies forward more effectively than building bigger boats in still water, drawing on experience investing in consumer and marketplace startups.
Leadership Principles
- → Think of markets like currents, not bodies of water — look for dynamics of change that pull you forward
- → Market size matters less than market momentum and the current driving the opportunity
- → A plank of wood on a fast current beats a big fancy boat in still water
Notable Quotes
"A lot of people think about markets like bodies of water. I think the most interesting markets are like currents — there's something happening that's going to pull you forward. A plank of wood on the river will make progress."
— On her framework for evaluating market opportunity
"We care less about market size because what you're looking for are the dynamics of change — the current and momentum that makes the founders' job easier."
— On why Benchmark focuses on market dynamics over TAM
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