"The aftermath of the Telecom/Internet bubble was a tough time for companies but it wasn't altogether a bad thing," says Paul
Matteucci, who served as interim CEO for several USVP companies during the early part of the decade and observed that the "real
entrepreneurs" continued to innovate and forge new pathways that today are bearing fruit. With a passion for mentoring startup
teams, Paul helped a generation of entrepreneurs learn object lessons in how to execute during difficult times. In fact, he notes,
the best of them learned to use the difficult times as a source for innovation, and as impetus for creating cultures that are
accountable, cash-efficient and focused.
"USVP remained very active during the downturn, continuing to invest throughout the recovery. And in 2006, we began to reap the
rewards of our patience and consistency. The real entrepreneurs are still out there. We are now cultivating those investments
rather than having a gap in our portfolio. The current generation of management in today's startups is savvier, more resilient,
and willing to take five years to build a company."
Paul's passion is for creating jobs for people and their families. Small businesses are by far the major source of job creation in
the U.S. and, increasingly, worldwide. His strengths include strategic marketing, organization operations, and team-building.
"Entrepreneurs are smart, engaging people. They have a vision for how to change the world. I help them avoid the tendency to
defocus when facing multiple opportunities."
Prior to USVP, Paul was CEO of HearMe, taking that company public in 1998. His two decades of operations experience include eight
years with Adaptec, where he was Vice President and General Manager of the SCSI host adapter division. Paul served as a Resident
Entrepreneur for Institutional Venture Partners in 1995 and was an advisor to Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures and Sutter Hill
Ventures in the 1990s. Paul received an M.B.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. in International Studies from Johns Hopkins and a
B.A. from the University of the Pacific. He is currently on the boards of Intransa, LimeLife, Piczo, PodTech, Total Beauty,
Trovix, W5 and Winster, and is a board observer on LV Sensors. Paul also serves as a trustee of the World's Affairs Council and
is a board member of the University of the Pacific's School of International Studies. He is a frequent lecturer at Montana State
University.
Paul loves the Wild West, an attitude that causes him to spend time in Montana as often as possible, but one that also suggests
itself in his investment philosophy:
"No one can anticipate the economic environment five or ten years out, so the specific times during which you make investments are
not as relevant as the market you pick and the team you attract."
Paul's interest on the technology landscape: mobile applications, audience measurement and aggregation, storage and enterprise
applications. On the natural landscape: "Building an American Serengeti"--an ambitious undertaking Paul is pursuing with the
American Prairie Foundation, to recreate and preserve vast portions of the nation's prairie lands.
A native of San Francisco's North Beach, Paul followed his Italian heritage to Florence, Italy, where he attended cooking school.
He's blending his passions for cooking and the environment into a series of fundraising dinners for APF--"Lewis and Clark: Cooking
of the Jeffersonian Era." Try Paul's Food Blog: www.foodcrunch.com
Favorite Books: A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean, because "it reminded me of growing up with my father and brother," and
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan which describes how industrial food is destroying our health and our planet.
U.S. Venture Partners
2735 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: (650) 854-9080
Fax: (650) 854-3018
www.usvp.com
