Square Exec Jared Fliesler Becomes VC at Matrix Partners

An operational executive at Square has left to become a venture capitalist. No — not that one. This is Jared Fliesler, who was vice president of user acquisition and business operations for the company. He’ll be a general partner at Matrix Partners in Palo Alto.

Fliesler is leaving the entrepreneurial world for the cushy VC life at the relatively young age of 28. That’s because, as he put it, “I do growth.” He wants to work closely with young startups, rather than fill a role at an already large company.

At Square, “I was spending a lot of time being a manager and not as much time at the white board,” Fliesler said. And rather than repeat (hopefully) that pattern with other fast-growing companies, he chose what he called “a terminal path” of being a VC for the rest of his life.

Fliesler has had a rapid-fire career. From an early gig in real estate investments, he joined Max Levchin’s Slide in 2007, where he led partnerships, platform relationships, payments and various products. When Slide was acquired by Google, he was director of product.

Then he followed former Slide executive Keith Rabois to Square, where Rabois was COO until he left after allegations of personal misconduct (that’s the other Square guy who became a VC — Rabois is now joining Khosla Ventures). Fliesler attested that the departures were unrelated, and that Square has a strong remaining executive team. Former Square director of products Megan Quinn is also now a VC at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

At Matrix, Fliesler said, he doesn’t intend to specialize in any particular category — Slide was a social product, Square was business-to-business — but rather intends to find young companies he likes and thinks he can help.