Marshall Smith

Examiner
DISC Type : sc

Board Advisor at GiftofCollege

Los Angeles, California, United States

Overview

Marshall Smith is an investor and operator, serving as a General Partner at Steamwork Ventures and a Fractional COO for financial services and Fintech startups. An alumnus of the University of Rhode Islands College of Business, he specializes in early-stage SaaS, Health, Wealth, and Sustainability ventures, focusing on operational improvements.

Outside of work, Marshall is family-oriented and active, enjoying time with his wife, children, and dog at the beach or park. His personal interests include watching sports, practicing yoga, snowboarding, and playing in a weekly basketball league in the Los Angeles area.

As a COO for a Los Angeles-based firm, he helped increase Assets Under Management (AUM) by 223% within a five-year period.

Personality Overview

Overcautious

Status Quo Seeker

Unexpressive

The only way to convince them is by showing them examples and ample proof.  They are always well-planned and adopt a systematic approach. They are heavily focused on quality and prefer doing things the right way, even if it takes time.

Topics They Care About

Startup Fundraising
Frequently posts advice for founders on the fundraising process, including types of investment vehicles and what to expect when meeting with investors.
Operational Efficiency
As a Fractional COO, he focuses on helping startups build out their operational infrastructure, systems, and processes to drive growth and improve business operations.
Early-Stage Investing
As a General Partner at Steamwork Ventures and an angel investor with Tech Coast Angels, he actively invests in and mentors early-stage companies.

Media Appearances

Marshall has no verified media appearances

Work History

11-2025
Board Advisor at GiftofCollege
7-2021
General Partner at Steamwork Ventures
10-2019
Founder/Chief Activation Officer/Fractional COO at Practical Activation
2-2021 - 3-2024
Angel Investor at Tech Coast Angels
2-2021 - 12-2022
Due Diligence Committee at Tech Coast Angels

Education

2003 - 2006
B.S. from University of Rhode Island - College of Business

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 11 Location : Los Angeles, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Board Advisor at GiftofCollege
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Insights For Selling To Marshall

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Expect them to be vague in response to your questions, ask firmly and pointedly
  • Expect them to be slow and cautious, encourage them to ask more questions
  • Ask them which other stakeholders would be important for this purchase decision

DONT's

  • Don't use phrases like 'do not worry', 'i promise' etc.
  • Don't push them too hard to make fast decisions, give them time
  • Don't rely on relationship building even if they act pleasantly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Marshall is

  • Proof of usage by others in the industry, case studies showing ROI are likely to work the best with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Marshall

  • They don’t say no often, they push out the decisions or keep going around in circles.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Marshall move?

  • They are some of the slowest movers and take their time reaching decisions.
  • Can Marshall take some risk or not?

  • They have very low acceptance of risk even if they do not say it directly.

You And Marshall

Personality Compatibility


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