My first journey with @travisk began in 2012 even before I joined Uber. I was at Goldman when I had the fortune of investing in Uber’s Series B. I still remember that investment memo, the taxi TAM I put down was $300M, and my swing-for-the-fences bull case was Uber going public at 3B. Despite the numbers, the single biggest reason I joined was - Travis. I believed he possessed a magical mix of genius and intensity that made me want to bet on the person, not the market.
Boy, was I wrong. I had completely underestimated him. Travis wasn't just more brilliant, he outworked all of us. First one in, last one out, every day. Breaking down walls of regulations, unions, city bureaucracies, etc. Had he not pioneered ridesharing, I don’t think anyone else had the fortitude to fight through one adversity after another to create a whole new market worth hundreds of billions out of nothing.
Years later, I co-founded @A_StarVC with @kevinhartz and @BennettSiegel. As an investor, you sit across from thousands of founders a year and develop a feel for the rare ones. Five years in, I only grew more certain of what I'd sensed back in 2012: there is no one quite like TK.
What I was still searching for was a mission. When Travis and I started talking about ATOMS it became clear the mission of ATOMS was unbounded — not one trillion-dollar market, but many. Our work today spans mining, transport, and food—industries that power everyday life. We’re building the machines that make those systems more productive, safer, and more autonomous.
The decision became a no-brainer - I am joining the team as Atoms CFO.
A* didn't just cheer my next move, they made Atoms the largest investment in the history of our fund. @kshenster, my wife, who runs @chemistry saw the fire in me and made ATOMS the largest investment out of her fund too. I think it was mostly because of TK and Anthony Levandowski, but I like to believe it was really me :)
Kristina and I have three kids (7, 5, and 2). Not that I needed more motivation… Whenever I show them an autonomous truck, or an autonomous vehicle that they innocently call a "robot car" — the pure joy on their faces says it all. That look is fuel. It pushes me to build a safer future for them... and, if I'm honest, a world where I don't have to drive three kids to soccer every weekend 😊
Travis, Kristina, Kevin, Bennett — thank you for this opportunity, and for believing in me.
Come join us to go build the future.
Gautam
