
Ian Kennedy
5.0
(45)
Helping founders navigate the intersection of the technical and the human
4,414 min coached
51 followers
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Worked at Khosla Ventures
Successful clients at
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

Executive Coach
Self-Employed
May 2024 - Present

Chief of Staff
Khosla Ventures
October 2021 - May 2024

Investment Associate Intern
Bridgewater Associates
July 2020 - August 2020

Business Development Intern
Rigetti Computing
August 2019 - November 2019

Trading Intern
Virtu Financial
June 2019 - August 2019

GMAT Instructor
Varsity Tutors
September 2017 - September 2018

Veterans Integration Program Intern
Goldman Sachs
March 2017 - May 2017

Special Forces NCO
US Army
November 2010 - April 2017
Ian was also given offers to work at

McKinsey & Company
Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business
Master of Science - MS, Electrical Engineering
2019 - 2021
Quantum computing

Stanford Graduate School of Business
Master of Business Administration - MBA
2018 - 2021
#chain-restaurants Slack channel, Contemplative Leadership Program

Columbia University
Certificate of Professional Achievement, Physics
2017 - 2018

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: