My Philosophy

One of my biggest passions is working with others to identify creative solutions to big problems. I’ve found venture capital to be the perfect environment to do this. I’m incredibly grateful to be able to work with and learn from brilliant entrepreneurs every day. Solving problems together with entrepreneurs post-investment is the most gratifying part of being an early stage investor.

Experience

I entered VC in 2016 from a background in startups and management consulting. At Costanoa, I focus my time on AI-enabled applications and the tools and infrastructure that secure and support them. Behind every investment I make is a founder I can’t wait to work with. I love diving deep into markets with founders who know their business cold, and who combine unshakeable belief in themselves with the humility to learn and grow. My goal is to earn the trust of every founder I work with to be the first call when things are going well, and especially when they aren’t. Before I came to Costanoa, I was a consultant at McKinsey, advising consumer and technology companies on strategy and operations projects. Before McKinsey, I worked in business development for Techweek, a nationwide technology conference company. This has had the unfortunate event of giving me tech conference PTSD, an occupational hazard in this job (at least pre-COVID).

Education

- B.S. in Learning and Organizational Change with a concentration in Marketing and Economics from Northwestern University

Outside of Work

I pick up new interests on an all-too-frequent basis. Current passions include cycling, science fiction, meditation, and U.S. history. The three constants that always make me happy--my wife, two amazing boys (TJ and David), and my guitars.

Perspectives from John Cowgill.