You’re grinding on a mission-critical SaaS or security product but big funds say, “Come back with traction.” 😩 Traditional angels nod politely yet can’t open enterprise doors. Enter Dan Scheinman, the solo operator-angel whose first $250k check into Zoom ballooned to ~$700 M 📈. With 87 bets and seven IPO unicorns, he writes modest checks but delivers Fortune-500 relationships, GTM discipline, and follow-on intros that reroute your startup’s trajectory. That’s why founders from Tel Aviv to the Bay scramble for a warm intro.🔥
Who Is Dan Scheinman and Why Founders Listen
Before you pitch, know your backer. Dan Scheinman isn’t just another name in venture—he’s a proven enterprise operator who’s helped build multi-billion-dollar companies from the ground up. His combination of pattern recognition, board presence, and strategic guidance makes him a heavyweight in early-stage investing. Here’s why founders and boards keep him close.
• 🏆 Seeded Zoom, SentinelOne, Rubrik, Arista Networks—each IPO’d
• 💰 Turned $250k into ~$700 M at Zoom, a 2,800× return
• 🏢 Ex-Cisco SVP who ran $20 B+ in acquisitions; knows enterprise buyers inside-out
• 📰 Named to NYT/CB Insights Top 100 VCs multiple years
• 🎯 Sits on boards of Zoom, SentinelOne, Arista—pattern-matching revenue playbooks first-hand
One-liner: Dan Scheinman is the enterprise whisperer who converts technical founders into category-dominating CEOs.
Dan Scheinman’s Thesis — “Boring Is Beautiful” 🛡️
Scheinman doesn’t chase flashy headlines or shiny trends. His sweet spot? Quietly essential infrastructure, security, and tooling that power the digital economy. If your product solves a dull—but mission-critical—enterprise pain, he’s likely to listen.
Forgo the hype cycle—Scheinman hunts for quietly indispensable B2B plumbing that scales into billion-dollar pipes.
Core pillars
• 💼 Enterprise > Consumer – Sells where budgets, not eyeballs, rule.
• 🧠 Founder-market fit – Deep domain expertise trumps shiny résumés.
• 💳 Early GTM rigor – “The day you have a paid customer, you have a business.”
• ⏱️ Capital efficiency – Small rounds, quick revenue validate true demand.
• 🌍 US-Israel corridor – Two talent clusters, one playbook for global scale.
Takeaway: If you’re solving an unsexy but critical pain with paying customers in sight, Dan Scheinman wants a call.
Angel Deal Terms at a Glance — Dan Scheinman’s Sweet Spot 💸
Not sure what to expect from a check? Scheinman moves quickly at the pre-product stage and stays involved longer than most. Here’s how his investment behavior breaks down.
He moves fast at the company-formation stage and stays pro-rata through Series B.
| Stage | Typical Check | Sectors Covered | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | $100k–$150k | Infra, DevTools, Security | US / IL 🇺🇸🇮🇱 |
| Seed | $150k–$250k | Enterprise SaaS, AI/ML | US / IL |
| Series A* | Up to $250k | Existing winners | Follow-on |
*select situations, often pro-rata.
Takeaway: Budget a $175k line item and expect him to double-down once metrics click.
What Dan Scheinman Looks For (Beyond the Hype) 🔎
It’s not just your deck—it’s your DNA. Scheinman seeks founders who’ve lived the problem, earned trust in their space, and have real conversations with buyers—not just dreams of them. Here’s what makes him lean in.
• 🧠 “Unfair insight”—a founder saw the pain firsthand at $1B+ scale.
• 🧑💻 Recruiting magnetism—can you hire A+ engineers with just equity?
• 🛒 Clear GTM path—pilot customers willing to swipe cards inside 12 months.
• 📊 Lean math—plan shows breakeven on <$10 M raised.
• 📈 Coachability—ego low enough to raise prices on Day 1 if data says so.
Inside Dan Scheinman’s Portfolio
His bets aren’t lucky guesses—they’re case studies in pattern-matching, timing, and grit. Whether it’s data security or AI infra, Scheinman backs the kind of founders who build enduring categories.
| Company | Sector | First Round | Why It Fits the Thesis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom | Collaboration | Seed | Founder was ex-Cisco; clear GTM, paying users quickly. 📹 |
| SentinelOne | Cybersecurity | Seed | Painful endpoint gap; Israeli tech edge + US market. 🛡️ |
| Rubrik | Data Management | Seed | “Boring” backup reinvented; capital-efficient scaling. 📀 |
| Cyera | Cloud Security | Seed | Domain founders; compliance pain for Global 2000. ☁️ |
| Fixie.ai | DevTools / AI | Pre-Seed | Infra for Gen-AI apps; early revenue conversations. 🤖 |
Takeaway: Note the consistency—enterprise niche, expert founders, and swift monetization.
Cold Outreach Playbook: Stand Out in Dan Scheinman’s Inbox
Your intro email is your only shot—make it sharp, credible, and full of buyer signals. Scheinman wants to see revenue reality, not buzzword bingo. Here’s a cold template that gets noticed.
Subject: “Paid Pilot Secured— Solves $3M/yr Pain at Cisco Peers”
• 🛠️ One-liner: We cut Fortune-500 incident-response time by 60%—already billing two design partners.
• 🔐 Founder-market fit: Our team ran security at AWS & Netflix; lived the breach fatigue.
• ⚡ Ask: Seeking $1.5M seed; your $200k and GTM guidance accelerate enterprise sales.
• 📈 Traction: $120k ARR after 4 months, 30-day sales cycle; raising on SAFEs.
Skip the fluff—prove paid demand and why you are uniquely qualified.
Life After the Wire: What Founders Actually Get
Writing the check is just the beginning. Founders say Scheinman acts like a co-pilot, not a spectator. He’ll sharpen your go-to-market, help close key hires, and open doors when growth matters most.
• 🧠 GTM Architect—whiteboards ICP, pricing, and first 10 customers.
• 👥 Talent Connector—plugs you into Cisco alumni and Pear VC networks.
• 🗣️ Board-level candor—quarterly sessions that question every assumption.
• 🚦 Follow-on magnet—warm intros to Accel, Lightspeed, Sequoia once KPIs hit.
Anecdote: At Zoom’s seed board, Scheinman insisted the team “charge more” immediately; revenue doubled within a quarter (company lore, Zoom S-1 interviews). 📜
Red Flags That Make Dan Scheinman Ghost Your Round
Scheinman doesn’t mince words—or waste time. If he senses founder delusion, vanity metrics, or lack of customer obsession, he’s out. Here are the fastest ways to get ghosted.
• 🚫 Product demo wows but zero buyer interviews.
• ❌ Founders lack domain résumé—“solution in search of a problem.”
• 💤 Slide deck anchored on TAM, not customer ROI.
• 🍔 $5M pre-seed budget with 24-month runway—capital gluttony.
• 📬 Pitch arrives via cold email with no mutual connection.
• 🙈 Refusal to discuss pricing or early revenue.
Takeaway: Think customer, not VC theatrics, or expect radio silence.
Final Thoughts: Dan Scheinman as Your GTM Co-Pilot
What makes Scheinman rare isn’t just his Zoom win—it’s the way he brings Fortune-500 GTM thinking 🧠 to tiny startup rooms. He amplifies urgency, validates pricing 💰, and tells you the truth even when it stings. 🔍
Securing Dan Scheinman isn’t about snagging another $175k—it’s about importing Cisco-grade business development 💼 into your five-person startup. He listens like an operator, critiques like a customer, and networks like a tier-one fund. When the hard questions come—“Why will a CSO pay now?”—you’ll want his fingerprints on the slide. 🎯
Your mission is clear: validate pain with dollars, craft a crisp GTM plan 🗺️, and earn that warm intro. Deliver those elements and you may land the angel who told Zoom to raise prices—and who could nudge your company toward the next enterprise IPO 🚀. Go build, charge more, and keep Dan Scheinman on speed dial. ☎️
