Laela Sturdy

Observer
DISC Type : ci

Managing Partner at CapitalG

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Laela Sturdy is the Managing Partner at CapitalG, Alphabets independent growth fund, where she leads investments in high-growth companies like Stripe, Duolingo, and UiPath. Her prior experience includes launching and scaling businesses such as Adwords Express at Google. She holds degrees from Harvard University, Trinity College Dublin, and an MBA from Stanford University.

Outside of her venture capital career, Laela is an avid basketball player and former captain of the Harvard womens team. She enjoys listening to live music with her wife and kids in San Francisco and has a background in human rights, having worked for organizations in Senegal, Kenya, and Ireland.

Interesting fact: Laela was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and was named to Fast Companys "Queer 50" list of influential LGBTQ leaders.

Personality Overview

Curious

Value Driven

Example Seeker

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation. They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.

Topics They Care About

Growth-Stage Investing
Focuses on investing in companies that have achieved product-market fit and are poised for rapid scaling, with notable investments in Stripe, Duolingo, and Gusto.
Founder Partnership
Emphasizes building deep, authentic, and supportive relationships with founders, viewing her role as a board member to both support and challenge them through scaling.
Corporate Philanthropy
Actively promotes corporate giving through Pledge 1%, advising portfolio companies on setting aside equity for social impact before going public.

Media Appearances

Laela Sturdy (Head of CapitalG) on Why Alphabet Invests in Startups. Featured in Apple Podcasts

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20VC: CapitalG's Laela Sturdy on The Current State of Growth. Featured in Apple Podcasts (UK)

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Heart and Hustle: A Conversation with Managing Partner Laela Sturdy. Featured in CapitalG Insights

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Work History

10-2013
Managing Partner at CapitalG
1-2007 - 10-2013
Managing Director at Google
2004 - 2006
Case Team Leader at Bain & Company
9-2001 - 8-2002
Director, Art for Amnesty at Amnesty International

Education

BA from Harvard University
MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Managing Partner at CapitalG

Interested in

Sports

Basketball, Basketball

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Insights For Selling To Laela

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them understand the risk aspect fully while inspiring confidence
  • Focus on immediate action-items rather than the larger goals
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value

DONT's

  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal
  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Laela is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Laela

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Laela move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Laela take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Laela

Personality Compatibility


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