Ian K.

Ian Kennedy

5.0

(45)

Helping founders navigate the intersection of the technical and the human

4,414 min coached

51 followers

Stanford Graduate School of Business Logo

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Khosla Ventures Logo

Worked at Khosla Ventures

Successful clients at

+6

Available tomorrow at 3:00 PM UTC

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Ian's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $259/hr

Get help with Ideation, Fundraising, and .

Ian also coaches for MBA and Executive Coaching. View all.

Ian’s Startup Founders Qualifications

Coaches professionally

Experience level: Executive

Ian has helped clients get into these companies:

I've spent my career at the intersection of technical depth and human complexity, and that's exactly where the most pressing founder challenges live. My background spans three years as Chief of Staff at Khosla Ventures, six years in the Army Special Forces, and a joint MBA/MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford with a focus on AI and quantum computing. I've worked with dozens of founders at all stages, from bootstrapped through Series A and beyond, on all aspects of the founder journey: company formation, finding PMF, pivoting, fundraising, hiring, and scaling. Drawing on my experience operating as part of high-performing teams in high-stakes environments, I also help founders skillfully navigate the challenges that don't show up in pitch decks but derail companies anyway — cofounder conflict, role confusion, and communication breakdowns. For founders with deep technical backgrounds, my training in physics and engineering and three years inside a deep tech VC firm means I actually understand what you're building, and the identity shift that comes when a researcher steps into the CEO role.

Ian can help with:

Ideation

Fundraising

Go-to-Market Strategy

Market Research

Business Strategy Development

Hiring

Venture Capital Strategy

Ian also coaches for MBA and Executive Coaching. View all.

About Ian

My life has been about testing my limits, whether through the physical and emotional rigor of the Army Special Forces, the relentless intellectual grind of academia, the spiritual intensity of Zen temples, or the fast-paced and hyper-competitive world Silicon Valley. Through those experiences, I've learned invaluable lessons about the power of the mind and what it takes to thrive in life and career. Most importantly, I've learned that while in some ways we're all so similar, in other ways we couldn't be more different. In the next stage of my career, I hope to share those lessons with others so that they can discover who they are and learn to live more satisfying and meaningful lives.

Why do I coach?

When I applied to business school, I was still a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces. Without a peer group to demystify the admissions process, I was in the dark - until I got in touch with a fellow Green Beret in his 2nd year at Stanford. He patiently shared his insights into the admissions process, offered candid feedback on my essays, and helped me craft an authentic story. Without his help, I wouldn't have gotten into Stanford, and my life wouldn't be the same. Years later, I worked with a life coach for the first time. We hit it off immediately, and after only a few hours together, he clearly articulated my own vision of who I wanted to be. I felt like I finally had permission to run after my dreams. After that, I knew that I wanted to help unlock other people too. It's the best feeling in the world, and that's why I coach.

Work Experience

Self-Employed Logo

Executive Coach

Self-Employed

May 2024 - Present

Khosla Ventures Logo

Chief of Staff

Khosla Ventures

October 2021 - May 2024

Bridgewater Associates Logo

Investment Associate Intern

Bridgewater Associates

July 2020 - August 2020

Rigetti Computing Logo

Business Development Intern

Rigetti Computing

August 2019 - November 2019

Virtu Financial Logo

Trading Intern

Virtu Financial

June 2019 - August 2019

Varsity Tutors Logo

GMAT Instructor

Varsity Tutors

September 2017 - September 2018

Goldman Sachs Logo

Veterans Integration Program Intern

Goldman Sachs

March 2017 - May 2017

US Army Logo

Special Forces NCO

US Army

November 2010 - April 2017

Ian was also given offers to work at

  • McKinsey & Company Logo

    McKinsey & Company

Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business Logo

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Master of Science - MS, Electrical Engineering

2019 - 2021

Quantum computing

Stanford Graduate School of Business Logo

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Master of Business Administration - MBA

2018 - 2021

#chain-restaurants Slack channel, Contemplative Leadership Program

Columbia University Logo

Columbia University

Certificate of Professional Achievement, Physics

2017 - 2018

Cornell University Logo

Cornell University

Bachelor's Degree, Economics

2005 - 2009

45 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


Knowledge

5.0

Value

5.0

Responsiveness

5.0

Supportiveness

5.0


Ian has helped clients get into these schools:


Ian has helped clients get into these companies:

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Ian K.

Ian K.

5.0

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