John Frankel is a former Goldman Sachs executive who launched ff Venture Capital in 2008 during the financial crisis and runs an unusually hands-on seed fund that works closely with founders from startup through 30-40+ employees, achieving roughly 50% Series A and B success rates compared to the 10% industry average. He backs unconventional, category-creating companies like Indiegogo's crowdfunding platform and Owlet's baby-monitoring sock, focusing on applied technologies where he's willing to invest based on founder quality and compelling models even without significant initial revenue.