Joining Rostra

The Consummation of Empire by Thomas Cole

I am thrilled to share that I am joining Rostra, where I’ll be working alongside Lulu Meservey and Sergey Alexashenko to help founders go direct.

“Learning to tell a story is critically important because that’s how the money works. The money flows as a function of the stories.” — Don Valentine

I’ve spent my career looking for ways to find and tell stories, beginning at early-stage fund Chapter One, then at multi-stage firm Bessemer Venture Partners, and most recently at TCG, where I joined a brand new team to help build out the firm’s first early-stage crypto practice. Working closely with founders in these roles reinforced my belief that the most important skill for anyone building something meaningful is the ability to tell their story.

This is a belief I’ve carried with me throughout my entire life. Growing up, I was selectively mute for five years, meaning that aside from my parents and two brothers, I avoided conversation with everyone around me. My world was lonely and small, so I turned to stories — reading, writing, and hanging out on the Internet to find company. Of course, I’ve grown up since then (and I certainly talk enough now to make up for my lost time), but my passion for telling stories never went away. In many ways, it informed my decision to put my life online in recent years, broadcasting much of my professional life and sharing perspectives on technology, crypto, and digital culture along the way. Rostra is now the second job I’ve gotten through Twitter. This is not a coincidence. Going direct helped me finally understand why so many people have called the Internet the great equalizer.

“If you can communicate the product, you can make money off the product. ‘Cause look at Gaga; she’s the creative director of Polaroid. I like some of the Gaga songs! What the f**k does she know about cameras?” — Kanye West

Everyone knows storytelling is important, but the lack of investment by founders into narrative building is surprising. When asked, most founders would say their top priorities are attracting talent and crafting a compelling story (critical for fundraising, hiring, and selling), but those functions are often relegated to HR and comms teams, or external publicists entirely. A founder would never outsource their product. Why outsource the story? Importantly, the founders who understand this know that they aren’t just building companies. They’re building movements. Don’t just build something people want; build something people want to be a part of.

Today, telling your story and owning your narrative is more important than ever. We’re at an existential crossroads for digital trust. Faith in legacy media and journalism is at an all-time low, especially in the world of tech. Founders have no choice but to tell their own story, because The Old does not like The New. Progress often threatens the establishment’s very existence. But the establishment loses its power when we talk to each other. This is the challenge, and this is the opportunity. We need to become the narrators of our own stories — not just telling the world who we are, but inviting the world to join us. This, to me, is the work worth pursuing.

Rostra is ushering in a new era for how founders tell their stories. Lulu comes from Activision Blizzard, where she led corporate affairs and communications, and before that served as VP of Communications at Substack. There, she met Sergey, Rostra’s co-founder and CTO. Neither Lulu nor Sergey come from a traditional comms background, which (I think) is what makes this all work. Both are scrappy, strategic, collaborative, optimistic, and kind — qualities I admire and want to nurture as I grow in my own career. 

I’m excited to continue storytelling, the thing I love most, now with the force multiplier of being a part of Rostra. It’s an honor to join the individuals who I believe are doing this work best, and who still are only just getting started. 

This is my first week at Rostra, and the first page of the next chapter in my own story. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity and thrilled for the adventure that awaits. I’ll continue to be based in New York City — please reach out! My new email is gaby@rostra.co.