I’m joining Sound Ventures to invest in the tech industry I’ve been covering for the last decade.
Ten years ago, I set out to have a front-row seat to the biggest stories in tech. I’ve sometimes played a part in them through my reporting. Along the way, I’ve gotten to know many of the most influential founders shaping the future. Now I want to back them.
I first met Guy Oseary about a year ago through a mutual friend. Over the months that followed, I also got to know Effie Epstein, who leads Sound with Guy in Los Angeles, where I’m also based, and the rest of the team. Guy and I initially discussed my serving as an advisor to Sound. As he described what he and Effie wanted to build for the firm’s next phase, I found myself asking, “What if I went all in?”
As AI makes software easier and cheaper to build, more companies will compete for the same slice of finite attention. Having a great product is increasingly just the starting point. Knowing what you stand for, how to tell your story, and how to reach people will matter even more. That’s central to what Guy and Effie are building at Sound, and it’s a key part of why I’m joining as a partner on the investing team.
Guy and Effie also understand why it’s important that I keep building Sources. I’ll continue to own and run it independently of my work at Sound. The newsletter is continuing, and I’m investing more in the Sources podcast, which I just launched with back-to-back conversations with Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg. I have an incredible roster of guests lined up for the coming months. Those conversations will continue to reflect my curiosity across tech, with founders in and beyond Sound’s portfolio.
What drew me to Sound starts with the firm's approach to talent. Guy’s background is in finding generational music artists and helping them reach an audience. He brings that same approach to founders: recognizing something exceptional, then helping it connect with the world. Sound’s track record made the opportunity even more compelling. The firm backed OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face in 2023, and its record spans dozens of exits over the last decade. We’re a non-traditional firm that’s structured well to collaborate with other investors and support the best companies as they scale.
Venture capital has interested me for a long time. I’ve reported on funding rounds, watched startups become big companies over the years, and learned a lot from founders and investors who were generous with their time. Much of what I’ve enjoyed about journalism translates to the VC world: spotting a trend early, connecting the dots that others haven’t, and figuring out which founders have something worth paying attention to.
That’s the perspective you’ll hear from me going forward. I’ll keep writing about what interests me, sharing what I think, and having the candid, insightful conversations with tech leaders that you’ve come to expect. The world of tech media is as fast-moving and relevant as ever, and I’m excited to continue to play my part from my new vantage point at Sound.
Speaking of which, it’s almost the one-year anniversary of Sources, which has far exceeded my expectations and become a healthy, growing business. To everyone who has read, subscribed to, sponsored, listened to, or shared my work: thank you. I’m excited to keep going.
I got into covering Silicon Valley because I’m insatiably curious about what technology makes possible. It’s time to follow my curiosity again.
A MESSAGE FROM MY SPONSOR
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Lately on the Sources podcast
Sources is a newsletter by Alex Heath about the AI race and the people shaping it. Every week, Sources is read by thousands of decision-makers in tech, finance, policy, and media.
Congratulations Alex! Effie and Guy are amazing.
Wow Congrats Alex! Excited to share some deals with you!