# The blueprint for starting a new firm with Chemistry Ventures, including the work needed before choosing your partners and non-consensus decision making.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/venture-unlocked-the-playbook-for-venture-capital-managers-2990261/the-blueprint-for-starting-a-new-firm-with-chemistry-ventures-including-the-work-needed-before-choosing-your-partners-and-non-consensus-decision-making
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/venture-unlocked-the-playbook-for-venture-capital-managers-2990261/the-blueprint-for-starting-a-new-firm-with-chemistry-ventures-including-the-work-needed-before-choosing-your-partners-and-non-consensus-decision-making.md
Podcast: [Venture Unlocked: The playbook for venture capital managers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/venture-unlocked-the-playbook-for-venture-capital-managers-2990261)
Published: 2024-10-30T16:22:30+00:00
Episode link: https://ventureunlocked.substack.com/p/the-blueprint-for-starting-a-new
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/150941472/c3324b11309577c7b4a6f4204d89d0dd.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2607

## Resource

Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape. Today I’m excited to speak with the founding team of Chemistry , a new venture firm led by Kristina Shen , Ethan Kurzweil , and Mark Goldberg , who recently spun-out of blue chip firms Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer, and Index Ventures, respectively. The firm just announced a significantly oversubscribed $350MM debut fund. As a new entrant to the market (in the toughest time to start a new firm in over a decade), I wanted to ask them about their blueprint for building a firm, including how they chose to partner up and the work they did beforehand, LP strategies and selection, and what they felt was their unique reason to exist in a highly competitive market. About Kristina Shen Kristina Shen is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Chemistry Ventures, overseeing a $350M fund focused on early-stage software investments. Formerly a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (2019-2024), she led significant investments in Mux, Pave, Wrapbook, and Rutter. Kristina specialized in high-growth startups. She began her venture career as a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners (2013-2019), working with companies such as Gainsight, Instructure, and ServiceTitan. Previously, she worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, focusing on technology sectors. About Mark Goldberg Mark Goldberg is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Chemistry Ventures since, investing in seed and Series A software startups. Previously, a Partner at Index Ventures (2015-2023), he worked with companies such as Plaid, Pilot, Intercom, and Motive, establishing a strong fintech and software portfolio. Prior to Index, Mark worked at Dropbox in Business Strategy & Operations and Str…

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