Q&A with Terri Burns, investing partner, GV
Dave Munichiello, a general partner for GV, a corporate venturing unit of US-based internet technology group Alphabet, said in October 2020: “Terri Burns [is] a bright star with seemingly boundless energy for our day-to-day work.
“Terri joined GV [in 2017] as a principal on our investing team, where she hit the ground sprinting alongside our general partners on deals.
“A computer science major with product management experience, Terri’s personal preparation ahead of complex board meetings or our most technical deep dives is methodical.
“Her diligence calls, founder meetings and investment write-ups articulate technical products with contagious enthusiasm and a keen attention to detail.
“In true GV form, she goes out of her way to build long-term relationships in support of our portfolio, focused on enduring products and resilient company cultures.
“Terri is well on her way to becoming a strong investor, and I am thrilled to tell you that she has just been named our youngest-ever investing partner.”
1. First, just give us a quick overview of who you work for, what you do, and how long you’ve been doing it.
I am a partner at GV. I started at GV [in October 2017] as a principal on the investing team, where I have focused on sourcing, dealflow and diligence across our enterprise and consumer teams.
2. What attracted you to CVC?
I was attracted to venture capital because I was a product manager prior to investing. As a product manager, you are hyper-focused on one team, feature or product, and I liked the idea of being able to zoom out and analyse the industry at large. GV was a particularly compelling team because everyone is incredibly sharp and experienced.
3. What have been your greatest successes at your unit?
I recently invested in two incredible consumer companies: Hags (Have a Great Summer) and Betty Labs (also known as Locker Room). I am really excited about these!
4. What have been your biggest challenges?
Venture capital is a competitive, often opaque space. Learning to understand and navigate VC in a way that is efficient and impactful has been a journey, but I am excited about what is to come!
5. What is your main professional ambition for the future?
My current focus is simply to invest in the very best companies.
6. What do you think all CVCs could do better to make it a stronger industry?
I think VCs in general can work on investing in a more diverse set of companies.
7. And, finally, for colour, what did you do prior to CVC or in your spare time?
Before GV, I studied computer science at New York University and worked as an associate product manager at Twitter.
