The Upfront team continues to grow, both in Los Angeles and with our expanding Bay Area team. This week, we're thrilled to introduce Nicole Chung, who joined the investment team in April.
Read on to learn what Nicole will be adding to Upfront, what companies can learn from LEGO, and what she thinks is a "dream drive."
How will you be adding value to Upfront and the portfolio?
From my experience working in management consulting, corporate strategy & operations, and various operating roles across both consumer and enterprise startups, I was able to work on a wide range of business challenges / problems. I am excited to leverage my operating experience while working alongside Kara Nortman as an investor and her chief of staff.
At a high level, the role will entail researching and developing theses around new interest areas, identifying and sourcing opportunities, being a thought partner to founders / entrepreneurs, and rolling up my sleeves to provide portfolio support.
What's exciting about joining a venture firm?
One of my primary values is the love of learning. I am a curious human who genuinely enjoys learning for the sake of learning. What excites me the most about joining a venture firm is the opportunity to surround myself with and learn from some of the most passionate, inspiring, forward-thinking, and brilliant people whether they be entrepreneurs, operators, or investors.
What gets you excited about meeting a new startup or founder?
I have always been a people-driven and people-motivated person. I believe that especially in early stage investing, WHO you are investing in is just as, if not more important as WHAT you are investing in.
I am excited to meet with new startups and founders because they will be the builders / leaders who will help shape and influence our future. The fact that I get to meet and partner with them as a part of my job is a huge privilege. I look forward to building authentic relationships and forming long-term partnerships with incredible people.
What one lesson did you learn while operating that you wish you'd known sooner?
Learn to give away your LEGOs. I have been a huge LEGO fan my entire life (seriously - I have easily built 100+ LEGO sets!) and when I read this article, the metaphor of how scaling a company is similar to building one of those big, complicated LEGO sets deeply resonated with me.
In the early days of forming a company, you get to be one of the key architects, laying out the fundamental building blocks of the company and taking on many different pieces and responsibilities. But as the company scales, you bring on people to help build faster, and something common that happens at this stage is that people get nervous. I certainly did. Nervous that the new hires may not build the LEGO set in the “right” way, or that you won’t have control anymore, or that there may not be enough pieces left for you.
From my personal experience and conversations with other operators, I learned that it is normal to feel this way. This is because changes are hard for everyone. But if you embrace the change and look around, there are usually piles of new LEGO pieces that you can use to build an even bigger and better set.
As an operator, the faster you learn to get comfortable with uncomfortable changes, the more successful you will be. By giving away your LEGOs, you learn to show trust, growth, and respect for yourself and others. It taught me that letting go and enabling others can ultimately lead to a greater opportunity and fulfillment.
If you had to give a TED talk right now, what would your topic be?
My TED talk topic would be: the importance of evaluating who you are spending time with, and bringing intentionality to your relationships. You have probably heard the famous quote by entrepreneur / motivational speaker Jim Rohn who said, “You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Whether you realize it or not, people that you spend the most time with have an enormous impact on you.
A few years ago, one of my business school professors had me try an exercise that was eye-opening for me. I had to write down three lists: 1) people I currently spend the most time with, 2) people who give me energy and their attributes, and 3) people who drain my energy and their attributes.
This exercise made me realize: the different behaviors and characteristics of people that give me energy vs. drain my energy
I was spending more time with people that drain my energy than people that give me energy
I was not showing up for people I love and care about the way I wanted to
This was an incredibly impactful exercise for me because it allowed me to re-evaluate who I was spending my valuable time with and how I was showing up for people that matter the most to me. As humans, it’s really easy to lose track of these things, but repeating the exercise a couple times a year has allowed me to be more intentional with both personal and professional relationships. I believe that deciding who you want to share your life with should be an ongoing exercise.
And lastly: you'll be based in San Francisco but will often be in the LA office. So what are three of your favorite places in California?
Pirates Cove (near Mill Valley, California): This is my favorite hiking trail in California. The trail can be a bit rocky and narrow at times but the beautiful wild flowers and breathtaking ocean views you experience along the way make it SO worth it!
Koreatown in LA: I may be biased because I’m originally from Seoul, Korea, but I think Korean food is the best comfort food. Whenever I feel homesick, I try to get Korean food and being in LA Koreatown really makes me feel like I’m transported back home.
Big Sur: I remember when I first visited Big Sur as a little girl, I thought I was in heaven. To this day, I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you haven’t done a road trip on California’s coast-hugging Highway 1, you’re missing out because it is what dream drives are made of. Driving over the Bixby Bridge at sunset is a life-changing experience.