This Week in Startups E33: “Angel” Podcast: Dan Rose, Chairman at Coatue Management is leading a $700M early-stage fund, shares insights on working with Bezos & Zuckerberg during pivotal years at Amazon & Facebook, 100+ angel investments, standout founder traits & more
Feb 12, 2020
Dan Rose, Chairman at Coatue Management and former key player at Amazon and Facebook, shares captivating insider stories. He discusses his early internship at Amazon and working under Jeff Bezos, including the company's culture and pivotal moments like the development of the Kindle. Dan reflects on his experience at Facebook, including the early days of the News Feed and key investment decisions. With over 100 angel investments, he reveals essential traits that make successful founders and provides insights on how to navigate the evolving startup landscape.
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Landing the Amazon Internship
- Dan Rose got his Amazon internship by networking and persistence, even dropping out of business school to join full-time.
- He initially targeted business development, but after meeting Bezos, recognized Amazon's potential.
Amazon's Footprint in 1999
- In 1999, Amazon, founded in 1994 and public since 1997, had a few thousand employees.
- A smaller number worked at the headquarters, primarily focusing on books, music, and video.
Bezos's Laugh and Amazon's Dark Days
- Bezos's distinct laugh was part of his persona and attracted early employees.
- Rose stayed at Amazon for seven years, six and a half of which were during the post-dot-com bubble burst.