Security from the Outside In: Dialogue with Kara Nortman

Part 3 of our investor series offers a unique perspective on the security market as Jack and I interview Kara Nortman, partner at Los Angeles-based Upfront Ventures who balances investments in enterprise and consumer companies without an explicit focus on cyber.  Kara traces her roots back to a long ago meeting with the @Stake team when she was with Battery Ventures and we chart how security moved from an arcane art to a topic relevant to every startup no matter the industry. Our conversation covers a number of big questions: Will Silicon Valley continue as the heart of tech in the future? Is it better to have a killer insight or to know how to build a product? How exactly do VCs work in 5 minutes or less? Kara also reveals her “full family” approach to helping her portfolio companies, explaining why the key to unlocking product marketing success might actually be a curious 8 year old.