Lightspeed partner Claire Zau joined the venture firm earlier this year after the connection began with a direct message on Instagram, according to comments made on the Equity podcast. Zau, who has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and over 250,000 on Instagram, said she aims to present technology trends in an accessible way.
Zau and Lightspeed's chief marketing officer, Josh Machiz, co-host the podcast Lightwork. Machiz said the firm hopes to provide startups with another way to tell their stories, noting that traditional journalism options have become more limited.
Zau said being online gives the firm real-time feedback on investments. She described receiving direct responses to videos about AI startups that suggested Gen Z was quite anti-AI, which she called humbling and helpful for understanding how people use the technologies.