![]() ![]() “I’m leaving the company in capable hands, probably more capable hands than mine,” he says, noting specifically that he’s good friends with new chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.Īs for why he’s leaving, Cohler argues that his role at both Facebook and LinkedIn has been “building lasting companies - if you look at the job description, it’s pretty much that of a venture capitalist.” Becoming a VC always seemed like a good long-term path, he says, but that plan didn’t become concrete until he was approached by Benchmark.Ĭohler adds that the firm’s unusual structure, in which each partner gets equal share of the profits (rather than dividing them based on the hierarchy) was a big draw as well.Īt Benchmark, Cohler says he plans to focus on “the entire stack of Internet technology,” including mobile technology. Exactly what that means isn’t clear yet, since Facebook doesn’t have an advisory board, and Cohler says the details of the position will be worked out this summer. Update: Cohler tells me he’ll maintain a formal role as a “special advisor” at Facebook. At 31, Cohler will be the youngest partner at Benchmark, and his youth should help the firm reach out to younger entrepreneurs - plus, Spurlock says, it means Cohler could have a decades-long career as a VC ahead of him. Naturally, Spurlock says Benchmark wants Cohler to continue connecting with the superstar founders and chief executives of the future. After all, Spurlock says, Cohler’s “entrepreneurial record” is impeccable: “With Reid Hoffman and Mark Zuckerberg, he’s two for two there.” ![]() It’s not bad deal for Cohler, either he gets to step away from the day-to-day stress of running a startup, join a firm that’s well-known for the scrutiny it gives to potential partners and work with cool new companies.īenchmark General Partner Steve Spurlock tells me the firm has been pursuing Cohler for a while. Obviously, this is a coup for Benchmark - Cohler was also part of the founding team at LinkedIn, the professional networking company which recently raised additional funding at a valuation of more than $1 billion. He’ll be leaving Facebook in the fall, but will supposedly maintain a relationship with the company. It’s not completely clear why Cohler is leaving in the press release, he cites “an extraordinary opportunity to build on my experience helping great entrepreneurs and to work side-by-side with some of the best investors, technologists and strategists I have ever known.” I’m scheduled to speak to Cohler later this morning, and I’ll try to get more details then. As early employees leave and the company brings on new executives, is Facebook (perhaps inevitably) becoming more staid and corporate? ![]() Cohler was one of the first five employees hired by Facebook’s founders, and helped oversee the company’s growth, so his departure raises questions about how the company’s culture is changing. This announcement follows the departure of Facebook co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Adam D’Angelo last month. ![]()
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