Update: I'm joining Boulevard
Adios, venture capital.
Hi everybody. Just sharing a quick personal update and some housekeeping (thanks for reading): I’m stepping away from venture and joining Boulevard as VP of Corporate Development.
Getting to be a VC is an amazing privilege, and I’m beyond grateful for the 12+ years I was permitted to do this. But more recently, my urge to re-enter the operating world has grown from a minor itch to an all-consuming preoccupation. And I keep thinking back to the start of my tech career — the three years spent growing the KACE business — and how meaningful it felt to work hard at building something alongside people you care about.
There are many ways to make an impact as an investor, but it’s just not the same as being ultimately responsible for driving outcomes inside an actual business and being a true peer to the people running it. So. It’s time to take a chance.
I’ll now be working on partnerships, ecosystem, and M&A with my friends at Boulevard, the leading client experience platform for appointment-based, self-care businesses. Boulevard most recently raised a $80M Series D round led by JMI Equity, and I was lucky enough to invest into the company 3x during my time at Toba.
Some quick items:
The Down Round will continue to exist!1 Now with dispatches from inside the real world of software/AI companies.2 Thank you to the nearly 1,000(!!) of you who read and subscribe.
If you need a new contact at Toba (for dealflow, portfolio inquiries, etc), please send me a note and I’ll get you in touch with the right person.
WE ARE HIRING AT BOULEVARD! And I can tell you from personal experience that it’s an amazing place to work and grow.
If you’re building technology in the beauty, wellness, salon, spa, or medspa space — please reach out! Let’s figure out if there are ways for us to work together.
Time permitting.
And maybe some personal horror at how many wrong takes I’ve had about building companies.
Awesome and exciting, Patrick! Love this update and this move.
Congrats!