Eryk is a partner at Index Ventures investing from inception to the growth stages in artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and robotics. He is drawn to curious and relentless founders who share his passion for tackling the world’s toughest problems.
Prior to Index, Eryk was an early employee at Databricks where he partnered closely with Ali Ghodsi as his Chief of Staff. During his tenure, Eryk had a front-row seat to one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies in history, working across every aspect of the business – from product and engineering to sales and operations. Eryk started his career at The Boston Consulting Group, where he focused primarily on enterprise software and digital health. He holds a B.A. in Applied Math and Economics from Harvard University.
Based in San Francisco, Eryk is an avid weightlifter, ski enthusiast, and voracious reader.
How does your background inform your approach to investing?
My grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Belarus in 1979, upending their entire lives for the possibility of something better. As an investor, I've always been drawn to founders of a similar background—immigrants, outsider, anyone who has had to forge their own path. Time and again, it’s those founders' unique perspectives and raw determination that build generational companies and catalyze truly transformational change.
What was your experience like at Databricks? What are some of the most important lessons you learned there?
When I joined Databricks, the company was at an incredible inflection point. As one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies in history, we had to reinvent ourselves every six months. I was fortunate to work alongside our CEO Ali as his Chief of Staff during this period of hypergrowth. The learning was incredible.
What stood out most was Ali’s approach to setting the company culture through radical transparency. Ali would share board slides, field every employee question on Slack, and use weekly all-hands to dive deep into strategy and metrics. His transparency wasn't just about information sharing - it fundamentally shaped how we operated. It set the tone that innovative ideas could come from anywhere, decisions were made based on data, and employees felt true ownership over the company's direction.
What other qualities do you look for in founders?
I look for founders who can articulate an ambitious vision, while thriving in the technical details. I’m drawn to founders who combine ambitious, seemingly unachievable goals with the technical depth to pursue them. This combination of visionary thinking and obsession with details is rare and powerful.
For me, self-awareness is equally important. The strongest founders are often those who are candid about their knowledge gaps and aren’t shy about asking for help. When a technical founder openly acknowledges they need help building their go-to-market organization or identifying what great talent looks like in unfamiliar functions, it signals maturity and strategic thinking. They understand that building an exceptional company requires assembling a team of experts who complement their strengths.
What’s your approach to working with founders?
I was a rower in college and learned that success comes down to two things: preparation and teamwork. In rowing, there are only a few race days throughout the year. Winning is all about consistency, showing up every day and putting in your best work. It’s a team effort that requires everyone pulling in the same direction. The journey and the hard experiences you go through are more valuable and memorable in the end, because you did it with people you trust and have worked with for years. When I think about what makes a great company, it’s all about the long haul—building strong, collaborative teams, working together to push through challenges, focusing on the founder’s vision and doing everything I can to help them get there.