Ariel Sterman is a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners' Israel office who relocated from New Jersey to Israel in 2018 specifically to contribute to the Israeli startup ecosystem rather than treat it as just another market, and he combines his investing work with teaching weekly classes on Jewish spirituality and philosophy. He's known for his inquiry-based approach with founders—asking questions to help them surface their own decisions rather than imposing a VC playbook—and for his transparent, relationship-first dealmaking style, exemplified when he initially passed on Qwak but spent two years helping the founders before ultimately leading Bessemer's investment.

• Deep interest in business models for artificial intelligence, specifically regarding pricing strategies for vertical and agentic AI companies. He shared resources from Bessemer Venture Partners that encourage founders to look beyond pure technology and product, focusing instead on aligning pricing models directly with the value provided to customers.
• Strong focus on defense technology and the intersection of private sector innovation with national security. He expressed enthusiasm for reports detailing how leading minds in the United States are mobilizing to apply startup methodologies to propel Western defense capabilities forward.
• Engages heavily with geopolitical stability and security issues, particularly concerning Israel and Iran. He frequently discusses the implications of nuclear programs and military readiness, utilizing examples like the effectiveness of specific aircraft or the strategic necessity of ballistic missile negotiations to illustrate broader security concerns.
• Observes the shifting culture within the tech workforce, particularly the irony of automation now affecting the developers who created it. He noted the profound discomfort the industry faces as AI tools begin to disrupt internal tech roles, mirroring the disintermediation Silicon Valley previously brought to other sectors.
• Monitors the relationship between American political leadership and the technology sector. He highlighted how Silicon Valley and independent voters are increasingly paying attention to established political figures like Marco Rubio, contrasting this current support with his own early advocacy for such candidates during previous election cycles.
• Critiques the user experience and ad quality on major social platforms. He called out leadership at X regarding low-quality advertisements appearing on the feed, suggesting that fixing these obvious user interface issues should be an easy win for the platform.