Madrona Venture Labs

In our latest Cheat Codes post, MVL's Head of Talent, Sam Dore, discusses the often-overlooked value of formal reference checks. Even after thorough interviews, a hiring manager's understanding of a candidate can still be incomplete. Formal reference checks provide a unique opportunity to gather insights into a candidate's performance, workplace style, and how they collaborate with others. Sam explains how to make the most of these reference calls by adapting questions to the candidate, exploring different perspectives, and focusing on personal attributes rather than just technical skills. By thoughtfully approaching reference checks, hiring teams can uncover deeper insights, strengthen their hiring decisions, and build valuable industry connections. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g9_9EBKR #Hiring #TalentAcquisition #Leadership #Recruitment #MVL

We’re currently incubating two new innovative startups at MVL and looking for the next Founder & CEO of each: 🔍 Stealth MarTech Startup: Revolutionizing B2B sales with a generative AI tool for live product demos—no human interaction required. 💡 Stealth Open Source GenAI/Devtools Startup: An open-source toolkit for prompt and agent engineering that integrates seamlessly with existing code. If you’re ready to lead in #stealthmode, apply here:  https://lnkd.in/ga3Aksv5 #genai #hiring #martech #devtools #opensource #b2bsales

Applications are open for our Summer 2025 Internship Program! If you're looking for a dynamic, hands-on internship in the startup ecosystem or know someone who would be a strong fit, check out the opportunities below: 👉 MBA Internship: Work on early-stage ventures, refine investment strategies, and collaborate with startup CEOs and VCs: https://lnkd.in/gyeqN-8V 👉 Undergraduate Internship: Get involved in product development, GenAI, and portfolio company prototypes: https://lnkd.in/gnwmyQjt Want to learn more? Hear from our recent intern, Meera Patel, on her summer interning with us here: https://lnkd.in/g-dFrwXC #hiring

In part III of our Cheat Codes: Early Idea Validation series, MVL's Elizabeth Webber (with Henry Huang) discusses the importance of validating your concepts with real customer feedback to ensure your ideas align with their needs and motivations, avoiding costly mistakes before launching your product. Learn how to run effective ideation and validation sessions, avoid common biases, and uncover second-order insights to elevate your solution. Read part III here: https://lnkd.in/gtxyuYph

We’re currently incubating two new innovative startups at MVL and looking for the next Founder & CEO of each: 🔍 Stealth MarTech Startup: Revolutionizing B2B sales with a generative AI tool for live product demos—no human interaction required. 💡 Stealth Open Source GenAI/Devtools Startup: An open-source toolkit for prompt and agent engineering that integrates seamlessly with existing code. If you’re ready to lead in #stealthmode, apply here:  https://lnkd.in/ga3Aksv5 #genai #hiring #martech #devtools #opensource #b2bsales

Our team had a great time catching up with Nic Surpatanu and the Tektonic AI team at their offices in Bellevue today. Tektonic AI develops #GenAI agents that automate complex business processes by integrating and streamlining data across enterprise systems. They're currently hiring for an AI/ML Engineer and a Full-Stack Software Engineer. Check out the opportunities here: https://lnkd.in/g4bbhbz #Hiring

MVL Managing Director Mike Fridgen sat down with Michael Gulmann, Founder and CEO of Otto, MVL's latest spin-out, to discuss how its AI-powered travel assistant transforms business travel through enhanced personalization and automation. If you're interested in shaping the future of business travel with AI, Otto is looking to hire a Fullstack Software Engineer and Senior Software Engineer. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gWcfck9i #hiring #travelai #travelstartups #softwareengineer

In this Cheat Codes post, Elizabeth Webber (with Henry Huang) delves deeper into early idea validation in startups, uncovering insights necessary for validating these concepts. Armed with core hypotheses in your opportunity space—the known unknowns—every founder needs to learn from customers and do so quickly. However, speed should not come at the expense of depth. We must dig deep with customers to understand their true behaviors and motivations, ultimately uncovering second-order insights. Read part II here: https://lnkd.in/gKJnSKX7

In this Cheat Codes post, Elizabeth Webber (with Henry Huang) delves deeper into early idea validation in startups, uncovering insights necessary for validating these concepts. Armed with core hypotheses in your opportunity space—the known unknowns—every founder needs to learn from customers and do so quickly. However, speed should not come at the expense of depth. We must dig deep with customers to understand their true behaviors and motivations, ultimately uncovering second-order insights. Read part II here: https://lnkd.in/gKJnSKX7

"Anything worthwhile is going to be uncomfortable, and there's going to be some struggle attached to it." — Mike Fridgen It was so awesome to be able to sit down with my friend Mike Fridgen on this week’s episode of the North Star Leaders podcast. Mike shared generously about economic value creation and impact, founder-problem fit, and mission-driven leadership. Take a listen!