Ask Marco

I am Marco Sanvido. I am a Visiting Partner at SPC. I earned my PhD in Computer Science at ETH Zurich and did my postdoc at Berkeley. I joined Pure Storage as an early engineer. I was VP Engineering in Residence at Sutter Hill Ventures. I have worked at Vanta, Robust Intelligence, MemVerge, Styra, and other deep technical companies across security, infrastructure, and systems. I hold 81 patents. I mentor startups at Swissnex.

When the opportunity arose to join SPC and assist teams during the critical -1 to 0 phase, I could not refuse. The decisions you make at the beginning affect the trajectory of everything later. I know this from having watched it, and from having gotten it wrong in ways that taught me something.

I follow a servant leadership style. My job is to remove obstacles and support the team when needed, not to direct. I have always had great mentors and advisors, and I want to pay it forward.

SPC Foundation

Everything I think about starts here:

• The -1 to 0 phase is the most important. Exploration before execution.
• Think about the maximally ambitious version of your idea. Don't negotiate against yourself before anyone else has pushed back.
• Build worlds, not just solutions. New capabilities create new markets.
• The people around you sharpen you more than any capital does.
• Curiosity is a prerequisite, not a nice-to-have.

My Lens