This week, Accel’s Sameer Gandhi was invited by Harry Stebbings to discuss the incredible journey of CrowdStrike on The Twenty Minute VC’s series, The Memo. Since the very beginning of Accel’s journey with CrowdStrike, Sameer always admired George’s commitment to doing hard things first. He discusses this, as well as the history of our investment and journey alongside George in the episode. 

Listen on Spotify, iTunes or through your Desktop browser to hear about:

• First impressions: When the Accel team and George first met, a 15 minute meeting turned into an hour plus conversation. In the interview, Sameer unveils the industry problems and market opportunities they discussed—as well as an unfortunately timed eye exam.
  

• The history of Accel’s investment: CrowdStrike joined the Accel Family in 2013, and we’re lucky to have supported the team through their IPO in 2019 and beyond. Sameer covers what specifically enabled Crowdstrike to expand so fast in the early days, and why we chose to lead or co-lead every subsequent funding round.
  

• What makes an exceptional founder? (Hint: many of the core traits George Kurtz has!): Successful founders are committed to learning and improving. They’re mission-driven, learn from others, and have singular clarity of purpose. When Sameer first met George, it was immediately clear he embodied these things. 
  

“Exceptional founders know it is a process of constant learning and improvement. They know that they don’t know everything, and they’re willing to learn from other people, surround themselves with a great network and listen. From the beginning, I saw this in George. He is relentless in wanting to perfect himself.” - Sameer Gandhi on 20VC

We’re excited to share their conversation with you!