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Jake Knapp is an investor at Character, widely known as the creator of the Design Sprint methodology. He is also a bestselling author, with books like "Sprint" and "Make Time," and previously served as a Design Partner at Google Ventures (GV).
Jake Knapp focuses on early-stage companies that demonstrate strong product-market fit, efficient execution, and a clear vision for solving real-world problems. His investment interests are often aligned with his expertise in product strategy, design thinking, and building high-performing teams.
Jake Knapp currently works as an investor at Character. Prior to this, he was a Design Partner at Google Ventures (GV) and held roles at Google and Microsoft.
Jake Knapp is the Co-founder and Partner at Character, an early-stage venture capital and design firm, and is based in Seattle, Washington. Prior to launching Character in 2021, he spent over a decade working as a product designer at Google and Google Ventures, where he originally developed the Design Sprint framework. Throughout his career, Knapp has personally facilitated more than 100 design sprints for high-growth startups and enterprise organizations, including Slack and Uber. He is the author of the 2016 New York Times bestselling book Sprint, which has been translated into over 20 languages, and co-authored Make Time in 2018. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Art from the University of Washington. His current focus centers on integrating rapid prototyping methodologies into venture capital investments to accelerate early-stage technology product development.
Jake Knapp is a distinguished investor at Character, bringing a unique blend of product innovation, strategic thinking, and hands-on operational experience to the venture capital landscape. Widely celebrated as the creator of the Design Sprint methodology, Jake's career has been defined by his ability to help companies rapidly solve complex problems and build impactful products.
Before joining Character, Jake Knapp made significant contributions during his tenure as a Design Partner at Google Ventures (GV). It was at GV where he developed and refined the Design Sprint, a five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers. This methodology has since been adopted by countless startups and Fortune 500 companies worldwide, revolutionizing how teams approach product development and innovation. His insights from this period were famously captured in his New York Times bestselling book, "Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days," co-authored with John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz.
Jake's career background is rich with experience from leading technology companies. Prior to GV, he worked at Google, where he contributed to products like Gmail and Google Hangouts. His early career also included roles at Microsoft, further solidifying his foundation in software development and user experience design. This deep operational expertise gives him a distinct advantage as an investor, allowing him to truly understand the challenges and opportunities faced by founders.
At Character, Jake Knapp focuses on identifying and supporting early-stage companies that are poised for significant growth and disruption. His investment thesis likely centers on ventures that prioritize strong product-market fit, efficient execution, and a clear vision for solving real-world problems. Given his background, he is particularly adept at advising companies on product strategy, design thinking, and building high-performing teams. While specific investment names from his time at GV are often part of a collective portfolio, the impact of his Design Sprint methodology has indirectly influenced the success of numerous startups across various sectors. His work continues to empower entrepreneurs to build, iterate, and scale with speed and confidence.
Jake Knapp is also the co-author of "Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day," another influential book that helps individuals and teams optimize their productivity and well-being. Through his writing, speaking engagements, and investment activities, Jake remains a pivotal figure in the world of innovation, helping to shape the next generation of successful companies.
