Brett Berson

Partner

“It’s a bit strange to only have one job for your entire career, but I've spent over 15 years at First Round because I believe the most meaningful progress throughout history comes from people who 'imagine if' — and being in service to these builders is the most fascinating work I can imagine. I’m a learn-it-all at heart, so I'm driven by thinking through the endless questions on why startups succeed and what we can do differently to try to give them a disproportionate advantage.”

Studying film taught me to pay attention to the thousands of micro-decisions — lighting choices, camera angles, editing cuts — that most never notice. In my years studying startups, I've seen how successful companies are similarly built on countless choices that compound over time. We believe in helping founders navigate decisions big and small, not in prescribing what the final 'film' should look like.

Brett joined First Round over 15 years ago, making the rare move from intern all the way up to partner. He’s carved out a unique role in venture, working across investing and operating as he has co-led the firm and helped it achieve extreme product-market fit itself.

Brett was the architect behind many of First Round's defining initiatives, including The Review (First Round's widely-read publication featuring tactical advice from exceptional founders), and Angel Track (a program helping operators become better angel investors). He also hosts "In Depth," First Round's podcast featuring nuanced conversations with company-builders.

Brett graduated from New York University, where he earned degrees with high distinction in economics and film — the latter of which came in handy making First Round's old holiday videos, which generated millions of views.

SOME OF THE COMPANIES BRETT'S INVESTED IN:

• [**Clay**
  
  _Imagine if_ go-to-market tools were as malleable as clay.](/content/companies/clay/index.html)
• [**Stedi**
  
  _Imagine if_ eligibility checks and claims processing could all be done via API.](https://www.stedi.com/)
• [**Persona**
  
  _Imagine if_ every company could verify that its users are who they say they are.](https://withpersona.com/)

HEAR MORE FROM BRETT:

• 
  
  In-Depth Podcast
  
  In Depth: A podcast from First Round Review \
  
  Going deeper on the advice startup leaders need to grow their teams, their companies and themselves.](https://review.firstround.com/podcast/)
• 
  
  Review Article
  
  The Fundraising Wisdom That Helped Our Founders Raise Billions in Follow-On Capital \
  
  First Round's Pitch Assist program helps founders raise follow-on capital. Here's a preview of some of the important fundraising lessons we share.](https://review.firstround.com/the-fundraising-wisdom-that-helped-our-founders-raise-18b-in-follow-on-capital/)
• 
  
  Profile
  
  Business Insider: Inside the Boot Camp that Teaches Startup Founders How to Raise Millions of Dollars \
  
  How First Round's Pitch Assist teaches startup founders how to perfect their VC pitch.](https://www.businessinsider.com/first-round-pitch-assist-teaches-startup-founders-how-to-perfect-their-vc-pitch-2016-5)