the marketing guru who helped turn khosla ventures into an ai powerhouse is moving on

Shernaz Daver: A Force in Silicon Valley

Shernaz Daver, though petite in size, wields considerable influence within the tech industry. For over three decades in Silicon Valley, she has refined the skill of securing anyone’s attention with a simple message: “Can you call me?” or “Let’s talk tomorrow.” Remarkably, they consistently respond.

As Daver prepares to depart from Khosla Ventures (KV) after nearly five years as the firm’s inaugural CMO, her departure may signal emerging trends in the technology landscape. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated an uncanny ability to anticipate the industry’s next significant advancement.

Early Career and Notable Roles

Daver’s professional journey includes pivotal roles at groundbreaking companies. She was a key figure at Inktomi during the late ’90s search engine competition, witnessing its rapid ascent to a $37 billion valuation before its subsequent decline.

She joined Netflix at a time when the concept of online DVD rentals was met with skepticism. Later, she contributed to Walmart’s efforts to compete with Amazon in the technological sphere.

Her expertise extended to Guardant Health, where she helped articulate the potential of liquid biopsies before the controversies surrounding Theranos’ blood testing practices. She even received direct feedback from Steve Jobs regarding the marketing of a Motorola microprocessor – a story in itself.

Vinod Khosla’s Perspective

Vinod Khosla, founder of KV, acknowledges Daver’s impact: “Shernaz made a substantial contribution at KV, assisting me in building the KV brand and serving as a valuable resource for our founders. I am thankful for her dedication and confident that we will maintain a close relationship.”

Reasons for Departure

Daver explained her decision to leave KV with characteristic directness. “My objective was to establish the KV brand and enhance Vinod’s brand, and to create a marketing framework that would provide support to our portfolio companies. I have successfully accomplished these goals.”

Currently, KV is consistently recognized as a leading AI investment firm, a significant transformation for a company once more prominently known for a legal dispute concerning beach access.

The “Daver Effect”

Daver attributes her success at KV to identifying and consistently reinforcing the firm’s core identity. “Ultimately, a venture capital firm doesn’t offer a tangible product,” she clarifies. “Unlike companies like Stripe, Rippling, or OpenAI, which all have products, VCs don’t. Therefore, a VC firm is fundamentally defined by its people – they *are* the product.”

KV had already defined itself as “bold, early, and impactful” prior to her arrival. Daver amplified these attributes, “plastering them everywhere” and then showcasing companies that embodied each characteristic.

Owning the “Early” Narrative

The pivotal element proved to be the concept of being “early.” “What constitutes ‘early’?” she poses. “It means either pioneering a new category or being the first investor in a company.” When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, Daver inquired with Sam Altman if KV’s status as the initial VC investor could be publicly acknowledged. He granted permission.

“Establishing that ‘first investor’ narrative is incredibly valuable,” she asserts, “because it often takes 12 to 15 years for a liquidity event in venture capital, and memories can fade. By establishing this fact from the outset, it remains memorable.”

Consistent Messaging is Key

Daver consistently applied this strategy. KV was the first investor in Square and DoorDash. She emphasizes that it took two and a half years of persistent communication for this message to resonate. “That’s relatively quick, considering the rapid pace of the industry.” Today, Khosla is frequently presented as the first investor in OpenAI.

This underscores Daver’s most crucial lesson for those she collaborates with: the necessity of repetition, even beyond what feels comfortable, to effectively convey a message.

“You’re on mile 23, while the rest of the world is on mile five,” she advises founders who express fatigue from repeating their story. “Constant repetition is essential, and you must consistently articulate the same message.”

The Importance of Clarity and Purpose

This can be challenging, particularly when individuals are preoccupied with immediate operational concerns. “Founders are often driven and move quickly, leading them to believe they’ve already progressed, while the broader world remains behind,” she explains.

Daver also employs a technique she calls “the equals exercise” with every company she works with. She draws an equals sign and assesses their clarity of purpose. “If I say ‘search,’ you say ‘Google.’ If I say ‘shopping,’ you say ‘Amazon.’ If I say ‘toothpaste,’ you likely say ‘Crest’ or ‘Colgate.’” She challenges her clients: “What is the one word that immediately brings your company to mind?”

Establishing Brand Association

She has achieved this with certain KV portfolio companies, such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems (nuclear fusion) and Replit (vibe coding). “The goal is to ensure that when someone hears a specific word, your company is the first thing they think of,” she explains. “For example, when people think of streaming, Netflix immediately comes to mind, not Disney or Hulu.”

Why “Going Direct” Can Be Counterproductive

Daver cautions against the recent trend, advocated by some startup advisors, of bypassing traditional media and “going direct” to customers, especially for early-stage companies.

“You have seed funding, and no one has heard of you. Who will even listen if you try to go direct? They don’t even know you exist.” She compares it to moving to a new neighborhood. “You won’t be invited to the neighborhood barbecue because no one knows you.” She argues that visibility requires external validation – someone talking about you.

The Enduring Value of Media

Daver doesn’t believe the media will disappear and wouldn’t want it to. Her approach integrates traditional media with video, podcasts, social media, and events. “I view each of these tactics as different branches of the military – infantry, cavalry – and a coordinated approach can establish dominance.”

Navigating Social Media

Daver also holds strong opinions about the increasingly polarized and performative nature of social media and the extent to which founders and VCs should share publicly.

She describes X as “a platform that encourages people to be more vocal and controversial than they might be in person.” She likens it to a bumper sticker – a concise, attention-grabbing statement.

She believes that inflammatory posting is often driven by a need for relevance. “If you don’t have something to sell and it’s just you, you have to remain relevant.”

At KV, she manages the firm’s account but has no control over Khosla’s personal posts. “There must be a degree of freedom of speech,” says Daver. “Ultimately, his name is on the door.”

Maintaining Professional Boundaries

Her policy is straightforward: “Sharing about your children’s soccer games or PTA involvement is perfectly acceptable. However, anything that could harm the company or jeopardize potential partnerships is unacceptable. As long as it’s not hate speech, you should feel free to share what you want.”

A Career Trajectory

Daver’s career has been characterized by a consistent pattern of arriving at the right place just before it becomes the obvious choice. Born at Stanford (her father was a PhD student), she spent her childhood in India and returned to Stanford on a Pell Grant. She pursued interactive technologies at Harvard, initially aspiring to work for Sesame Street to promote education.

Despite sending out 100 résumés and receiving 100 rejections, she nearly secured a position at Electronic Arts (EA) under founding CEO Trip Hawkins, but “Hawkins rescinded the offer at the last minute.”

A colleague suggested she explore public relations, leading to a career in marketing semiconductors and a memorable encounter with Jobs, then leading NeXT. Daver, the most junior member of the meeting, defended her team’s work on the Motorola 68040 chip, only to be met with Jobs’ blunt criticism: “You did a terrible job marketing the 68040.”

Continued Success

She subsequently joined Sun Microsystems in Paris, collaborating with Scott McNealy and Eric Schmidt on Solaris and Java. She then rejoined Hawkins at 3DO, followed by roles at Inktomi, Netflix, Walmart, Khan Academy, Guardant Health, Udacity, 10x Genomics, GV, and Kitty Hawk.

The call from Khosla led to a process of persuasion, with Daver initially outlining numerous reasons why their collaboration might be detrimental. After nine months, “despite advice to the contrary,” she accepted the position.

The Importance of Authenticity

Daver has thrived. She observes a challenge across Silicon Valley (but not with Khosla): a lack of authenticity. “Everyone sounds the same,” she says. “Corporate communications and CEOs are overly scripted. That’s why Sam [Altman] is so refreshing for many people.”

She recounts an incident where Khosla spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt and then attended another event. “The organizer remarked that they were surprised by what Vinod said onstage. I responded that it was great – exactly what he said.”

Looking Ahead

Daver’s future plans remain unspecified, described only as “different opportunities.” However, given her track record of anticipating emerging trends, her next move is worth watching. She has consistently been early to identify opportunities in search, streaming, genomics, and AI. And she knows how to articulate that vision until others understand.