Bhaskar Ghosh, Partner at 8VC, reflects on his journey from Calcutta to Silicon Valley, spanning influential roles at Oracle, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and NerdWallet before moving into venture capital. Now a leader at 8VC, BG introduces his “geometry framework” (persona, product, budget) for enterprise startups, shares insights on the opportunities in generative AI and data infrastructure, and talks about why managing uncertainty is the core skill in zero-to-one journeys. He also emphasizes intentional networking, the long-term nature of venture relationships, and his deep passion for music through his support for Ragas Live. In this episode, you’ll learn: [01:56] BG’s early journey from Calcutta to Silicon Valley and his career in academia, Yahoo, Oracle, LinkedIn, and NerdWallet [06:10] Why he calls himself a “secondhand entrepreneur” and what excites him most about venture capital [11:22] 8VC’s focus areas and why incubation is core to the firm’s strategy [14:05] The “geometry framework” for evaluating enterprise startups: persona, product, budget [19:30] Where BG sees opportunity in generative AI: orchestration, knowledge graphs, semantic layers, observability [25:12] Why networking must be intentional and based on service, not transactions [28:34] BG’s advice to founders on standing out and building authentic investor relationships The non-profit Bhaskar is passionate about: SACSA (Society for Arts and Culture of South Asia) About Bhaskar Ghosh Bhaskar Ghosh (BG) is a Partner at 8VC, where he leads investments in enterprise software, AI, data infrastructure, fintech, and healthcare, while incubating multiple startups. Previously, he held senior roles at Oracle and Yahoo, was the founding head of data infrastructure at LinkedIn, and served as CTO at NerdWallet, helping scale it to IPO. BG holds a PhD in Computer Science from Yale and is passionate about helping founders navigate zero-to-one journeys. Outside venture, he is deeply engaged in Indian classical music and supports community initiatives like Ragas Live. About 8VC 8VC is a venture capital firm with approximately $7B in assets under management, investing in transformative technologies across enterprise software, AI, healthcare, logistics, fintech, and defense. With offices in Austin and San Francisco, 8VC partners with early-stage founders and also dedicates significant capital to incubation—building new companies alongside entrepreneurs. Its mission is to back ambitious founders solving global problems with scalable, science-driven solutions. 8VC’s portfolio includes category-defining startups that are shaping industries and tackling global challenges, including DataHub, Yugabyte, LightBeam, Tezi, OpenGov, Nile, AI21 Labs, AMP, Bedrock Robotics, 180° Insurance, Cambium, Candid Health among others. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.
