Unusual Ventures

Operating Partner - Founder Services & Platform

Unusual Ventures$150K — $250K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of hands-on experience as a CEO or COO, particularly in enterprise software startups.
  • Demonstrated ability to scale companies and understand key growth metrics.
  • Proficient in developing go-to-market and recruitment strategies from scratch.
  • Strong coaching skills to guide founders with credibility in their journey.
  • Excellent team leadership capabilities with a focus on enhancing team performance.
  • High emotional intelligence and structured thinking to approach complex challenges.
  • Strong values alignment with a commitment to integrity and long-term success.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the day-to-day operations of Founder Services and Platform teams.
  • Direct resources such as talent, marketing, and customer introductions to assist founders effectively.
  • Assist founders across various stages—pre-seed to Series B—on critical issues like recruitment and market strategy.
  • Collaborate with leadership to create and implement effective support programs for founders.
  • Establish high standards for delivering true value in venture support.

Benefits

  • Flexible work location in Menlo Park or San Francisco.
  • Opportunity to significantly influence the future of venture support practices.
  • High potential for personal and professional growth by working closely with founders.
Full Job Description
The Role

This is a builder's role with a Partner's scope and ownership. You will be one of Unusual's Operating Partners, on equal footing with our CFO and Operating Partner.

You will work closely with John Vrionis to organize and direct the resources of our Founder Services and Platform teams, and you will own the day-to-day - leading the people, setting priorities, and making sure our support reaches founders when and where they need it.

You will care deeply about helping founders, whatever the need. Some days that is a critical executive hire. Others it is sharpening go-to-market, opening a door to a customer, landing a piece of coverage, or getting a founder in the right room. You will meet each company where it is, at whatever stage, and marshal the firm's resources to move it forward.

What You'll Do

  • Own the day-to-day. Lead the Founder Services and Platform teams day-to-day - the people, the priorities, and the standards.
  • Organize the resources. Direct our talent, go-to-market, marketing, events, content, and customer-introduction resources so they reach the founders who need them most.
  • Help founders win. Meet founders at any stage - pre-seed through Series B - and help on whatever front matters: recruiting, go-to-market, customers, narrative, or coverage.
  • Build the playbook. Partner with John to shape how Unusual supports founders, and turn that into repeatable programs the team can deliver at quality.
  • Set the standard. Raise the bar for what "value-add" actually means in venture - and make it real, not theater.


Who You Are

  • A proven operator with a track record of success in startups - as a CEO or COO, with deep experience in enterprise software in particular.
  • You have built and scaled companies, and you know the difference between traction and noise.
  • You have built go-to-market and recruiting motions from the ground up, and you can coach founders on both with credibility.
  • You get real joy from helping founders succeed, and you have the standing to challenge them and be heard.
  • You are a strong leader of teams who can own execution and raise the performance of the people around you.
  • You have high standards and high empathy, and you bring calm, structured thinking to messy problems.
  • You care deeply about truth, clarity, and long-term company building.
  • You are values-driven. You care about integrity, substance, and doing the right thing.


Location & Compensation

This role is based in the Bay Area. You will work from our Menlo Park or San Francisco office - we are flexible on which - and you should live within reach of both, and of our founders.

Compensation is highly competitive and commensurate with the seniority of the seat, including meaningful upside in the firm's success.

Why This Seat

This is a chance to shape how venture support should work for the next decade. If you have built before - and now want to help others build better - this is the most meaningful seat you will find.

To learn more or express interest: reach out to Jon Volk at Unusual Ventures.

About Unusual Ventures

Unusual Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. The firm was founded in 2018 by John Vrionis and Jyoti Bansal. Unusual Ventures focuses on investing in companies that are using technology to disrupt traditional industries. The firm has invested in companies such as Freenome, Figma, and Guild Education.
Learn more about Unusual Ventures
Size
10 employees
Industry
Founded
2018

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