Simon Shin

I help pre-seed and seed founders building AI-native companies get sharper on the messy 0-to-1 decisions around fundraising, product, and go-to-market that make or break the first 18 months. I've spent 20+ years on both sides of the table. As an operator I held product and leadership roles at Chegg, Viant, true[X], and Riiid Labs. Today I'm co-founder of Speedrun Labs, an AI-native venture studio where we actually ship AI agents and automation for clients, so I'm building with AI every week, not just theorizing about it. I'm also a General Partner at Ethos Fund, investing in exceptional founders at pre-seed and seed. Sitting in the operator seat and the investor seat at once gives me a specific read on what earns a check, and what makes a company work after the check clears. Book a call if you're raising your first round and want an honest gut-check on your deck and story, figuring out where AI actually belongs in your product (vs. where it's a distraction), or hunting for product-market fit and a repeatable go-to-market motion. You'll leave with concrete next steps, not vague encouragement.