Bryan Schreier
Seed/early
Backstory
Most of my learned behavior comes from early on. My father guided me to a service-oriented high school and I am grateful for the mentality I learned there, which ties to the work I do today. The best role for me is behind the scenes, supporting the great founders, teams and companies of tomorrow.
I’ve never run a big company, but at Google, I did get to learn from one of the great leaders of our time. She taught me how to take a team from zero to thousands and how to creatively address any challenge in front of me. She also taught me about loyalty and how to fight for your people.
I derive great fulfillment from helping others achieve their full potential. That is what I do; it’s what gets me up in the morning. It is not about me—and I like it that way. I’m less active on Twitter and typically not to be found at conferences because I’m better deployed as a partner to founders solving problems. It’s part allergy and part focus. Anything more than a degree away from supporting a company or founder feels like misused time.
On the Lookout for
We try not to specialize. Any company with the ability to somehow rewire an industry is compelling to me. When we met Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi in 2007, it was just the two of them, working in a tiny Russian Hill apartment. After one pre-launch demo, it was clear to us that they had the vision and the skills to make Dropbox the center of people’s digital world.
I look for audacious authenticity. The audacious part is that it has to be a big idea that will truly make a difference in the world. But to me, authenticity is most important. Someone who understands a problem space better than anyone else will be the absolute best steward for their company. They’re never going to give up on their idea, and no one can compete with their instincts and commitment.
My goal is to be a founder’s first call. That’s not something you can add to a term sheet. It has to be earned—through trust, delivery and being there when things are messy and hard. Real company-building is not glamorous work. I thrive on partnering with people who will make a dent in tomorrow—and on being there with whatever they need to maximize that dent.
Personal Side
Family / Surfing / Music (I’ve played in bands most of my life)