Alex Tran
Managing Director
I had the privilege of growing up in Silicon Valley and studying at Stanford, where I was surrounded by intellectually curious people who were constantly questioning and challenging the status quo. This is why I love talking to entrepreneurs who can pick apart industries, question the way things are, and dream how things should and might be.
I started my career at Morgan Stanley, where I learned to spot great businesses. In 2012, I joined the growth-stage investing team at Kleiner Perkins. During my time there, the platform shift to mobile internet was happening rapidly, and I was able to help create and publish the annual Internet Trends reports that chronicled its evolution. I also had the privilege of investing in some very iconic companies that eventually went on to create new categories and redefine their industries. From this, I came to appreciate that great teams with strong product instincts have the ability to make the world look more like what they envision, even when they are solving some of the toughest problems.
In 2017, I took a year off to travel around the world. Most of the world’s growth has shifted East and is being driven by economies outside of North America. I wanted to see this firsthand. I met with entrepreneurs, journalists, government officials, and everyday consumers. Global technology investing gets me excited because it forces me to think from first principles: how does one country’s experience differ from another, how did that come to be, and if we could reimagine it with a blank slate, how would we build it? The pockets of leapfrogging that happen can give us a glimpse into the future. I love paying attention to the myriad of new internet users who are coming online all around the world: they bring with them cultural nuances and consumer behaviors that lead to beautiful and unique products.
At General Catalyst, I spend most of my time with founders building fintech and consumer companies. I am excited to invest in great teams and products no matter where in the world they are located. I work closely with Ramp, Aven, and Thatch in the US, Monzo in the UK, CRED in India, and Stori in Mexico, just to name a few examples. If you’re a founder with a great idea, I’d love to get on a plane to come meet you.
Outside of work, I enjoy cycling, playing board games, reading, and occasionally wandering a little too far from home.