Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Ehrenberg is a paramount example of someone who foresaw and championed the
transformational power of Big Data and data-centric companies and, by investing in
and mentoring a select subset, has been able to help a range of organizations and
the entrepreneurs behind them achieve significant growth and impact. Ehrenberg's
unique background—helping to drive the high-speed data evolution on Wall Street
and then investing in data-driven approaches to transforming global industries—
lends authority to his discussion of the value of having a data scientist in residence
at IA Ventures, why he looks for entrepreneurs with data-centric DNA, and what he
thinks data-driven companies of the future will be working on. While he is clearly
passionate about the power of data, what really stands out in Ehrenberg's interview
is how much he helps and cares for the people behind the companies he invests in.
Sebastian Gutierrez:
How do you think about IA Ventures?
Roger Ehrenberg:
IA is the culmination of everything I've done previously,
from my eighteen years on Wall Street and running data-intensive businesses
there—where I was both one who utilized and also purchased what's now
commonly referred to as “big data technologies”—to my years as an angel
investor. As a principal with IA, being able to invest in leading-edge technolo-
gies is something that's very, very exciting.
Gutierrez:
What was the transition from DB Advisors on Wall Street to
being an angel investor like?
Ehrenberg:
The transition was definitely a challenge. Culturally, it was a
shock going from having a corner office on Park Avenue managing a global
team of 130 quants to working in my home office and having a clean slate. On
one hand, it was very exciting. On the other hand, it was terrifying. I needed
to build a suite of relationships to insert myself into the early-stage tech
community. It took five meetings a day, five days a week for five years to lay
the right foundation.
Gutierrez:
Were there similarities in the two cultures that made the transi-
tion easier?
Ehrenberg:
Certainly. The psychology and the makeup of the quantitative
traders whom I recruited and managed at DB felt somewhat similar to those
of the technical startup founders I work with at IA. In many cases, their per-
sonal and academic backgrounds were quite similar, even though their chosen
vocations were quite different. In terms of their thought processes, I felt a lot
of commonality between the two.
Gutierrez:
Were there differences that made the transition interesting?
Ehrenberg:
I felt like the quantitative traders were much more in their own
heads, because they're largely focused on building models to leverage data and
generate returns, which is a somewhat abstract concept. A technical startup
founder is generally focused on producing a thing—not just a model, but a
model that does something that touches and affects people. The DNA of
