James joined NEA in 2023 as an investor on the Technology team, focused on consumer and AI apps. Prior to NEA, James spent time at early-stage startups, including GlossGenius, a PLG vertical SaaS business, and consulting with Frost Giant Studios, a Starcraft spinout game studio building the next generation of real-time strategy (RTS) games. He also spent time at Credit Suisse in its technology group. James graduated from the University of Southern California.
What’s a philosophy that guides your approach to investing and/or relationship-building?
I believe that the best founding teams share two qualities: they’re great storytellers and have fast cycle time.
How do you relate to a founder’s journey?
I founded a consumer mental health startup my freshman year of college, and I still bring that entrepreneurial grit when I partner with founders. It was a humbling experience. I made a lot of mistakes and learned how hard it is to build a truly generational product. I’m grateful to have that perspective ingrained in me, and because of it I have a tremendous amount of respect and empathy for founders navigating the company-building process.
What cultural artifact influenced you growing up?
When I was little, I watched a show called Dirty Jobs—each episode highlighting a “dirty job” (think: the people who clean gum off New York City sidewalks or chicken sexers). I was fascinated with understanding how these hyperspecific and unglamorous jobs played an essential role in the context of the broader world. I think startups can be a lot like those dirty jobs. They solve pain points that often sound niche when explained at a dinner party, but in actuality they function as a crucial underpinning to an aspect of modern living or working that we take for granted. And they’re run by hardworking people who love their craft and can get sh*t done.
How is NEA different from other VC firms?
The founders we’ve worked with tend to be our strongest pipeline of dealflow. I believe it’s a testament to NEA truly partnering with founders and earning their trust.
How have your former operational roles served you as an investor?
Before NEA, I had brief stints across different types of startups and in different function groups. As a result, I spend a lot of my time helping founders think through GTM, building virality into the product and business model.
What’s something that you geek out over?
I love gaming and have been incredibly lucky to have grown up seeing the evolution of the industry from the $60 Age of Empires games to the Flash games I played as a small child on Kongregate to mobile games like DragonVale to free-to-play games like League. I love that part of my job is to nerd out with founders building the future of the industry!
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“The founders we’ve worked with tend to be our strongest pipeline of dealflow. I believe it’s a testament to NEA truly putting founders first and earning their trust.”
