Warren Shaeffer
Visiting Partner
The danger for most founders isn’t that they aim too high and miss, but that they aim too low and reach their target. Dream big about the future you truly want to see.
The danger for most founders isn’t that they aim too high and miss, but that they aim too low and reach their target. Dream big about the future you truly want to see.
Warren is a Visiting Partner on the investing team focused on consumer investments and Pear’s small-batch accelerator, PearX. He’s obsessed with helping early-stage founders increase their odds of success.
Prior to Pear, was an angel investor and scout for a16z, and a Vice President at Medium. Warren joined Medium through the acquisition of his most recent startup, Knowable, an audio-first learning platform.
Before starting Knowable, Warren was the Co-founder and CEO of Vidme, which scaled to over 30M monthly users and was backed by NEA (acquired by Giphy).
Warren is a graduate of Harvard. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Grey, and their three kids.
What is your most used emoji?
📈 I believe that through hard work things move in a positive direction over the long run, even if there are reversals along the way. Sometimes you have to go into the valley to get to a higher peak.
What’s your favorite book?
Can’t pick just one!
Fiction: Interpreter of Maladies, Anna Karenina, Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint Exupery.
Non-fiction: Thinking in Bets, The Venture Mindset, and anything by Thich Nicht Nhan.
What career path did you want to pursue when you were a kid?
My first job was running a lemonade stand – we also sold cookies and fruit to increase our ARPU 😊 – and I’ve enjoyed helping build businesses ever since.
What are your favorite sports teams?
I love playing sports but don’t regularly find the time to watch. I’m happy if your team wins!
What are your hobbies outside of work?
When I’m not spending time with my kids, I love playing any racquet sport, hiking, swimming, and reading great books (fiction + nonfiction). One of my favorite questions to ask people is what have you read lately that’s improved your life?
Previous Experience
- Scout at a16z
- Vice President at Medium
- CEO and Co-founder of Knowable (Backed by a16z, acquired by Medium)
- CEO and Co-founder of Vidme (Backed by NEA, Acquired by Giphy)
- COO of SocialEngine (Acquired)