Aileen Lee Quotes

Aileen Lee is an American venture capitalist and founder of Cowboy Ventures. She has been involved in the technology industry for many years, and her investments have helped shape the success of numerous startups. Lee's expertise in venture capital and her contributions to the tech industry have made her a notable figure in the world of business.

I grew up in New Jersey and played sports and rode my bike around. It was a really nice time - kids didn't have cellphones then - and you knew everyone in the town.

Especially when it comes to social and shopping, w... -Aileen Lee

Especially when it comes to social and shopping, women rule the Internet.

I have a tremendous network of friends and colleag... -Aileen Lee

I have a tremendous network of friends and colleagues at other firms.

We're in this incredible age where new brands are making people's lives easier, more convenient, more personalized.

What is social proof? Put simply, it's the positive influence created when someone finds out that others are doing something. It's also known as informational social influence.

I've learned that you really cannot judge a book b... -Aileen Lee

I've learned that you really cannot judge a book by its cover.

Immigrants play a huge role in the founding and value creation of today's tech companies. We wonder how much more value could be created if it were easier to get a work visa.

Savvy companies are quietly changing up their boards of directors and teams, and this is giving them better collective intelligence, more community admiration, and better financial results.

Many entrepreneurs, and the venture investors who ... -Aileen Lee

Many entrepreneurs, and the venture investors who back them, seek to build billion-dollar companies.

From a pretty early age, I developed an interest in travel. I told my parents I wanted to live abroad, and they said, 'Well, you have to have money to do those things.'

Women are thought to be more social, more interested in relationships and connections, better at multi-tasking.

If you're a digital startup, building and highlighting your social proof is the best way for new users to learn about you.

There are a lot of benefits to having a team of young people, but there are many benefits to having people who've made a lot of mistakes.

Starbucks did this magical thing where it took a product that people didn't really care that much about and made it this treat. It makes you feel better about your day and gives you a chance to reflect, makes you feel a little special.

I'm a huge believer in power of women on the web.... -Aileen Lee

I'm a huge believer in power of women on the web.

Starting a company and being a founder is really hard, and most companies fail. You really have to have a deep commitment and belief in it and be willing to see it through many ups and downs.

If someone was having some surgery that was going to put them out for three months, it's something you should consider, with a man or a woman. What is the impact of having the C.E.O. or visionary out for three months?

I played with different words like 'home run,' 'megahit,' and they just all sounded kind of 'blah.' So I put in 'unicorn' because they are - these are very rare companies in the sense that there are thousands of startups in tech every year, and only a handful will wind up becoming a unicorn company. They're really rare.

My dad was a dentist; my mom managed his office.... -Aileen Lee

My dad was a dentist; my mom managed his office.

I was ringside for Amazon and Google.... -Aileen Lee

I was ringside for Amazon and Google.

If you're looking to grow your user base, is there a best way to cost-effectively attract valuable users? I'm increasingly convinced the best way is by harnessing a concept called social proof, a relatively untapped gold mine in the age of the social web.

If a firm hasn't hired a single female partner in its history, I don't think it will finally happen by accident.

Spend the first six to 12 months building a great product or service that people love, rather than chasing investors. When the time comes to engage investors, you will be meeting them from a position of strength. This makes all the difference.

Each major wave of technology innovation has given rise to one or more super-unicorns - companies that could change your life to work at or invest in if you're not lucky/genius enough to be a co-founder.

You have to get under the hood and spend some quality time with someone to understand what they're really good at.

History suggests the 2010s will give rise to a super-unicorn or two that reflect the key tech wave of the decade, the mobile web.

Super early-stage companies have a village that fo... -Aileen Lee

Super early-stage companies have a village that form around them for support.

Women are the routers and amplifiers of the social... -Aileen Lee

Women are the routers and amplifiers of the social web. And they are the rocket fuel of ecommerce.

When I was growing up, I had lots of smart classmates that were girls, but none of us were really pushed into math or computers or anything like that. Girls took AP history and AP English and AP European history. And boys took calculus and physics.

Why do investors seem to care about 'billion dollar exits?' Historically, top venture funds have driven returns from their ownership in just a few companies in a given fund of many companies.

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