Aadit Narayanaswamy
Venture Associate
Bling Capital
Venture Associate at Bling Capital in San Francisco.
Bio
Professional summary
Ben Ling is the Founder and General Partner of Bling Capital. His official Bling Capital profile says he has backed 19 unicorn companies. Previously, he was a General Partner at Khosla Ventures, where he focused on consumer, Internet, mobile, marketplace, SaaS, and consumer health businesses and led investments in companies such as Wattpad, Tapingo, GitLab, TrueAccord, and Webflow. Before venture investing, Ling held senior operating roles at Google, YouTube, and Facebook, including work on Google Search and local products, YouTube partnerships and platform, Google commerce products, and Facebook's developer platform. He holds a BS in EECS from UC Berkeley and MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science from Stanford.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
early stage
Sector
consumerinternetmobilemarketplacesSaaSconsumer health
Thesis
ConsumerInternet and mobileMarketplacesSaaSConsumer health
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
WattpadTapingoGitLabTrueAccordWebflowAirtableLyftSquarePalantirQuoraGustoUdemy
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Emphasize product-led growth, network effects, consumer or marketplace behavior, and the founder's ability to build a large platform from an early wedge.
Personalization hooks
- 1Reference his Google, YouTube, and Facebook platform/operator background if the pitch involves developer ecosystems, distribution, commerce, or platforms.
- 2For SaaS or marketplace startups, connect to Webflow, GitLab, Tapingo, or TrueAccord where relevant.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Bling CapitalFounding General Partner2018 – Present
- Khosla VenturesGeneral Partner2018
- BadooCOO
- GoogleHead of Local Business Products
- GoogleHead of Google Mobile Applications Lab
- GoogleHead of Search Products
- YouTube / GoogleHead of Platforms and Syndication
- FacebookHead of Platform Product Management
Education
- Stanford UniversityPhD, Computer Science1998-2004
- Stanford UniversityMS, Computer Science1998-2000
Skills
Product managementConsumer internetSaaSMarketplacesMobileEarly-stage investing
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