Lisa Han Is Rethinking Venture Capital for the AI Era

Lisa Han brings a mix of discipline and adaptability to venture capital—traits shaped early on as a competitive figure skater. Now a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, she focuses on early-stage investments in enterprise software, with a strong emphasis on AI-driven innovation.

Since joining the firm in 2022, Han has been actively involved in backing companies that are building from the ground up in a rapidly changing tech landscape. One of her most notable bets came in 2025, when she led Lightspeed’s seed investment in Thinking Machines Lab, the AI venture founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.

Her approach to investing reflects a clear shift in mindset. Han believes that in today’s environment, traditional playbooks no longer hold the same value. With the pace of technological change accelerating—especially in AI—what worked before can quickly become outdated.

Instead, she focuses on working closely with founders to rethink company building from first principles, encouraging them to question assumptions and build with flexibility from the start. A big part of this involves helping teams hire operators who are comfortable dealing with uncertainty and constant change.

For Han, adaptability is no longer optional—it’s a core skill for both founders and investors navigating this new landscape.

Her perspective highlights how venture capital itself is evolving, moving away from fixed frameworks toward more fluid, learning-driven approaches.

Because in the AI era, success doesn’t come from following the old playbook—it comes from knowing when to rewrite it.