Deep has over 20 years of experience helping build and grow internet and software businesses. Prior to SoftBank, he served as SVP of Products and User Experience at LinkedIn and held a number of leadership roles at Google. Previously he was the Founder of enterprise software company Patkai Networks. Deep has co-authored 14 patents, and is a recipient of the Google Founders Award, which is given to employees who made extraordinary contributions to the company.
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Insights 05
01 –
What makes you the most excited about the Vision Fund?
I am excited about helping entrepreneurs actualize their dreams. It can be both extremely hard and super-energizing at the same time. At the Vision Fund, we are biased towards BHAGs—big, hairy, audacious goals—and when I start talking to the founder of a company that’s a good match for the Fund, I feel like I’m getting a peek into the future. It’s our job to support the entrepreneur with counsel and resources and help them make that future a reality.
Our job is to be both a coach and a cheerleader as our entrepreneurs take on some of the biggest challenges out there.
02 –
What should people expect when they work with you and your colleagues?
I strive to bring intellectual curiosity and empathy for the entrepreneur's journey, and to engage in an open, honest, and constructive dialogue. Having been an entrepreneur, I realize that it can be a lonely and scary journey at times. We understand that they may not have all of the answers, and our job is to be both a coach and a cheerleader as our entrepreneurs take on some of the biggest challenges out there.
03 –
What do you look for in a founder?
A sense of mission and purpose.
For instance, the founders at one of our health tech companies starts every board meeting with the story of a cancer patient who benefited from their work. This is tremendously gratifying and epitomizes why we do what we do every day.
04 –
How would you describe the opportunity you see for AI and genomics in the realms of health technology and bioengineering?
Artificial intelligence is becoming a real differentiator in the way we live and work. Using machine learning for playing chess is interesting, but leveraging it for early stage cancer detection is invaluable. Today, genomics and machine learning are used for engineering biomaterials with desirable properties and a smaller carbon footprint, for determining the health of an unborn child, and also for deciphering poorly understood and complex molecular dynamics, which can in turn be used for designing more effective drugs for fatal diseases. Getting to dream alongside founders and to support them as they tackle these incredibly important problems is truly inspiring.
05 –
What advice would you give a young entrepreneur?
Valuation is not the same as value creation.
When I received my MBA, my father asked me what I was going to do next. I told him that I was planning to raise venture money to start a company that would probably take several years to be profitable. My father, whose business knowledge came solely from his life experiences, said, “It’s OK for a business to not make money right away. However, over a period of time, if you invest one rupee in your business at the start of the year, you should have 1.3 rupees by the end of that year. A profitable business is a long-lasting business.” That was incredible advice that I continue to share with our entrepreneurs.
