Keith Yandell on fundraising
From Leading with empathy | Keith Yandell (DoorDash, Uber) · · LennysPodcast
“When fundraising, it’s better to put forth numbers you know you can hit, even if it means lower valuations. Building trust with investors through honesty and transparency creates long-term value.”
On , Keith Yandell, Chief Business Officer at DoorDash, spoke about fundraising during Leading with empathy | Keith Yandell (DoorDash, Uber) on LennysPodcast.
About Keith Yandell
Keith Yandell, Chief Business Officer at DoorDash, discussed his leadership approach and the company's culture in a February 2023 podcast appearance. He emphasized the importance of empathy in leadership, stating that understanding the motivations and backgrounds of different people in a room is key to making each person feel heard. Yandell described DoorDash's "WeDash" program, which requires all employees to complete four deliveries per year to better understand the customer experience Poisson. He also shared his "How to Work with Keith" document and discussed the value of openness in the workplace. Yandell reflected on DoorDash's early struggles, noting that the company was "weeks away from running out of runway" and had been rejected by many venture capitalists before finding success. He attributed the company's perseverance to the drive of co-founder Tony Xu, saying that persistence is critical for founders. Yandell also advised that in fundraising, it is better to present numbers that can be reliably achieved, even if it means accepting lower valuations, as building trust with investors through honesty creates long-term value. He added that maintaining perspective through business cycles is important, as "highs can't be too high and lows can't be too low."