John Vrionis
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
John Vrionis is currently the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Unusual Ventures. A seasoned venture capitalist with over two decades of experience, John has been an early investor in a number of successful software startups including: AppDynamics, Arctic Wolf Networks, Carta, Harness, Hallow, Liftoff.io, Mulesoft, Pinterest, Nicira, Nimble Storage and Robinhood.
Originally from Georgia, John graduated from Harvard University, where he studied economics and applied mathematics while also playing varsity soccer. His passion for technology led him to pursue a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago. Inspired by visionary entrepreneurs, John moved to Silicon Valley in 2002 and completed his MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Before co-founding Unusual Ventures, John served as a General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Why Unusual?
I believe that you learn by overcoming adversity. For me, whether it was sports, school, or in my personal and professional life, that’s been the truth. I gravitate to people who have an immense drive and the humility to keep learning.
Q&A with
John Vrionis
Find investors who are going to care deeply about whether or not you and your company succeed. Surround yourself with people who have complimentary skills and different perspectives. Seek out experts who will push you and work for you so that you can do your very best work. Tell your authentic story and remember the golden rule.
Product visionaries who are technical and have an obsession for building perfect solutions that delight users. I’ve always been a thematic investor as I enjoy deeply researching areas and building theses around opportunities that are ripe for disruption. My passion is helping founders take an idea and turn it into a product that can be sold repeatably, and I enjoy working with people who want to work as a team to crack the code for success.
We felt the venture ecosystem was stale and full of firms that all looked and acted the same. We believed founders deserved better from investors particularly at the earliest stage. We felt compelled to build a firm that was dedicated to early stage company building and a deeper engagement model than any that existed. We also wanted to be leaders in diversity and in supporting diverse LPs, and push the industry to new heights.
From our founders
The most valuable thing has been John’s commitment to the company since its formation. I greatly appreciate John’s candid style and his extensive track record of successfully partnering with early stage founders.
Brian NeSmith
Co-Founder & CEO
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