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Jason Stoffer

General Partner, Maveron · 1 appearance on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

investorexecutivefoundermaveron.com ↗

Since joining Maveron in 2007, Jason Stoffer has led early-stage investments in consumer tech, e-commerce, and digital marketplaces. He is known for backing companies including Zulily, General Assembly, and Everlane.

17statements → 3claims → 2claims resolved → 3.88/5average certainty → 2.41/5average debate potential → ≈4.5/5argument clarity, estimated → 1said about them ↓

2 supported 0 partly supported 0 contradicted 1 not checkable as stated how the 3 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

3 assertions · 3 opinions · 9 insights · 2 disclosures · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 3 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 2 are resolved, and 1 names no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Jason argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported
Zulily grew from zero to $1B revenue in five years
“So I was lucky enough to be on the board of Zulily. It went zero to a billion in revenue in five years.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 16:56 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron

Expressed certainty vs assessment result

none yet certainty 1
none yet certainty 2
none yet certainty 3
100% certainty 4
100% certainty 5

weighted support: a fully supported claim counts one, a partly supported claim counts half. Each filled bar is clickable and opens exactly those claims; "none yet" means nothing said at that certainty level has resolved yet

How they sound: speaking style how? →

221 words/min while actually speaking · 3 um and uh per 1k words

No argument clarity score for Jason Stoffer: no usable question→answer exchanges on raw tape (a fair score needs 8+). We do not score a sample that small. Roundtable and news formats yield far fewer direct exchanges than interviews. Their coarse estimate from 24 exchanges on the produced feed is ≈4.5/5, shown at half point precision because the sample is small and produced tape scores higher.

Measured by listening to 4,337 words across 1 episode, but every recording we have of Jason Stoffer is the aired feed, and an editor cleaned that audio before release. Some of the hesitation was cut before we ever heard it, so read these as floors: the true rates are at least this high. These are measurements of speaking style, not scores. How it's measured →

How the interview went all their pushback → series average →

Across 1 rated episode:

host pushback ▾ 5/10
pushed back at the host ▾ 4/10
setup questions received 30%

Everything Jason Stoffer said on 20VC that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Insight
Series A pitch decks focusing on CAC and LTV should be rejected
“I actually disagree with Fred. I think if CAC and LTV is a focus on a series A deck, I essentially just want to throw the deck out.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 7:42 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Opinion
Most VCs are mediocre and overall VC returns are poor
“The vast majority of VCs are mediocre. That's why the asset class generally is poor, and the top funds generally perform quite well.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 20:03 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
More capital is usually not the solution to startup problems
“I think the dot-com crash in many ways informed my point of view that more capital is usually not the solution to problems.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 6:00 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Facebook ads easily scale brands to $50M, but rarely to $500M
“It's very easy these days to Scale a brand from zero to fifty million by using hyper-targeting on Facebook. It's very hard to take a brand from fifty million to five hundred million in an enduring way, and to create billions in equity value.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 13:29 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Sudden CAC spikes force online brands to sell to offline incumbents
“CAC doesn't gradually go from 20 to 25 to 30. It goes from 21 day to 80 the next, and I think in many cases where you've created a online category leader, the best solution really is to sell it to a offline previous category leader that's looking to maintain t…”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 21:46 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Opinion
Chewy is the model consumer venture exit, not Bonobos
“I look at Chewy's as what Wright looks like, not Bonobo's, right?”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 22:43 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Emotional brand connection is the best weapon to beat Amazon
“I think there's the best way to beat Amazon is with heart. I think Amazon doesn't create the emotional connection with a brand that, say, a Chewy's did, or a Zappos did.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 25:35 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Professional managers cannot execute strategic pivots; the CEO must lead
“You can't hire professional managers to really change the focus of a business. My biggest lesson was when you have an incredibly important strategic initiative, the CEO needs to clear everything off their plate and make it happen.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 24:48 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Every Maveron portfolio Series B faces questions about Amazon
“Every single Series B that our portfolio companies raise, the question raised is, what's Amazon going to do?”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 25:09 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Disclosure
Maveron keeps investments unannounced due to competition from Amazon
“You know, my last three core investments still haven't been announced, largely out of fear of competition, both from Amazon.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 27:34 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Opinion
Jason Stoffer prefers startups serving Middle America over the top 1%
“I also have a deep affinity for companies that target middle America versus companies that are focused on the one percent.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 3:39 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Maveron's best startups rely on repeat customers, not paid acquisition
“If there's a unique characteristic across the most successful portfolio companies we have, it's high repeat and a lack of dependence upon paid acquisition for a significant piece of your revenue.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 8:46 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
Coding bootcamps suffer from non-repeat purchases and high search acquisition costs
“The problem with coding bootcamps is it's a one-time purchase. It's not repeated. Customers often search for it in Google, and even if you have the best product, it's hard to make that readily apparent in the consumer's minds.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 10:37 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Insight
VCs must not let personal stress affect founder communications
“Everything you say to an entrepreneur you work with has to have intent. You can't let your stress, what's in your head, or your mood impact them.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 17:17 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Assertion Supported
Zulily grew from zero to $1B revenue in five years
“So I was lucky enough to be on the board of Zulily. It went zero to a billion in revenue in five years.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 16:56 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Disclosure
Physical product brands represent only 25% of Maveron's portfolio
“Physical product companies might be a quarter of what we do.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 23:09 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron
Assertion Supported
Millennial music festival attendance doubled between 2014 and 2018
“When we looked at it, we saw that almost 30% of millennials attended a music festival in the past 12 months compared to half of that in 2014.”
Jason Stoffer Jul 23, 2018 ▶ 8:13 20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand Today and How VCs Deal with S*** Hit The Fan Moments with Jason Stoffer, Managing Partner @ Maveron

The other half of the tape: Jason Stoffer's own voice is left out of every number here. Other people bring the name up 1 time in 1 episode on 20VC. every mention, with the transcript →

Who brings them up most Harry Stebbings 1

Every mention by year

tap a year for its mentions
0011112018episodesmentions
0112018episodes it came up in
000.50.5112018episodesmentions per episode
2018 1 mention in 1 episode

Appearances (1)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
20VC: The Metrics That Matter In Early-Stage Consumer, Why Moats Matter More Than Brand To Jul 23, 2018 20m
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