AI Fund-Principal

Who we are: 

AI is the new electricity: Just as electricity transformed numerous industries starting 100 years ago, AI is now poised to do the same. AI Fund is a venture studio founded by Dr. Andrew Ng in 2017. Our portfolio companies use AI technology to build applications across numerous industry sectors. The AI Fund team combines their experiences as AI pioneers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors, and operators. We are backed by a $176 million-dollar fund from top-tier global corporations and VC firms. Our purpose is to build AI companies that move humanity forward.

What we seek: 

We are looking for an energetic Principal to join our investment team and build companies. As founders and investors ourselves we are looking to add top new talent to our company building team. We welcome candidates who possess a growth mindset, strong analytical skills and ability to handle ambiguity. You will be responsible for driving projects forward until either they are falsified (and ended) or smoothly transitioned to a newly found company. This is a hybrid role based out of our Palo Alto office.

What you will do:

• Carry out ideation and early product validation. You will be responsible for working with our partners to quickly validate or falsify specific ideas. This may involve generating candidate business concepts, prototyping, and customer interview work.
• Build a business case. For ideas that seem promising, you will be responsible for building a case for the business, including such elements as a TAM/SAM/SOM analysis, initial business model and initial GTM strategy, and compiling a pitch deck-like document that communicates the main thesis of the business, minimum viable product, initial go-to-market, and long-term vision.
• Assist with bringing on FIRs (Founders in Residence). You will play an instrumental role in explaining the business idea to potential founders, helping them understand the potential of the business, and working to bring on a strong FIR to carry the business forward through a three month company Build Stage.
• Support FIR, Venture Advisor, and AI Fund Partner through initial phases of the project. AI Fund and the FIR will meet regularly during the Build Stage. You will be carrying out both product and program management roles during this period. As program manager, you will stay on top of all of the communication internally and externally with the FIR, as well as communicate schedules and track milestones. You will report out to the Venture Advisor and Partner key update, as well as ensure fast escalation should any problems arise. As product manager, you will assist with customer discovery calls, identify customer needs, work to explore and achieve product-market fit, research competitors and substitutes, coordinate internal and external resources, build financial models, work on the pitch deck and anything upon request by the FIR, Venture Advisor or Partner. 
• Support the AI Fund’s investment decision at the conclusion of the Build Stage. You will be helping to build a case for whether or not the AI Fund should invest.
• Continue to follow and support the new portfolio company as it grows its team, builds its product, closes its initial customers, and faces down challenges en route to closing its first external round of financing.

What You Must Bring:

• Able to work well with senior executives in a way that makes efficient use of their time.
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills normally found with STEM degrees or equivalent background where you have practiced and honed such skill sets.
• Previous 0 to 1 software startup experience as a founder or founding team member.
• At least one of (i) Previous experience working in venture capital assessing business plans and working with start-ups and entrepreneurs, or (ii) technical startup experience in a product or building capacity.
• Strong due diligence skills including market research, competitive market mapping, trend analysis, TAM/SAM/SOM analysis, go-to-market strategy formulation, and pro-forma financial construction and analysis.
• Ability to write and read rudimentary software code, especially within the context of AI applications.
• Proactive self-starter with a strong work ethic and ownership mentality.
• Excellent organizational skills to keep projects moving forward to meet predetermined milestones.
• Growth and technical startup mindset. This may include willingness to try and fail but try again, biased to action, capable of handling ambiguity, scrappy, flexible and comfortable being outside of one’s comfort zone, able to learn from and incorporate feedback to enhance one’s analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong writing and presentation skills.

Nice To Haves:

• Previous experience working in a venture studio or venture formation group within a corporation.
• Product design experience at a tech company or a hi-tech start-up. 
• AI and/or ML knowledge at a conceptual level strongly preferred

At AI Fund, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. AI Fund believes that diversity and inclusion among our employees is critical to our success as a company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Selection for employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.