Ashley Smith

Ashley Smith, General Partner at Vermilion Cliffs and former marketing leader at Twilio and GitHub, shares invaluable insights for pre-seed founders. She emphasizes the importance of direct customer conversations over investor playbooks. The discussion highlights how successful companies built community engagement to drive growth. Smith advocates for hiring generalists and treating product and marketing as a unified front. Plus, she encourages founders to embrace rejection and craft authentic content in a saturated digital landscape.

Ashley Smith, General Partner and founder of Vermilion Cliffs Ventures, shares her journey from leading marketing at GitHub to investing in AI and developer tools. She emphasizes the mantra 'done is better than perfect' and discusses the importance of building communities for technical credibility. Ashley highlights trends in AI infrastructure, advocating for a practical approach focused on reliability and security. Additionally, she shares insights on sourcing deals through her vast network and designing events that resonate with builders.

Ashley Smith, GP and Founder of Vermilion Cliffs Ventures, shares her journey from answering support calls at Twilio to leading growth strategies at top tech firms. She discusses what makes a successful founding team, emphasizing the importance of communication and customer engagement. The conversation dives into the evolving role of AI in boosting developer efficiency and navigating software complexities. Ashley also reflects on her approach to early-stage investments and what excites her in the fast-paced tech landscape.