Vinod Khosla calls himself a "venture assistant", which used to annoy his former colleague John Doerr.

There are two parts: (a) Khosla calls himself a 'venture assistant', and (b) this used to annoy his former colleague John Doerr. True: other records (earlier interviews, speeches or writings) show Khosla using the term 'venture assistant' about himself, and Doerr was his colleague (for example at Kleiner Perkins), with Doerr's annoyance consistent with available accounts or not contradicted. Mostly true: the self-description and the colleague relationship are confirmed, but there is no independent account of Doerr's reaction. Mixed: only one of the two parts is confirmed. Mostly false: Khosla used the term only rarely or in a different sense, or Doerr disputes being annoyed. False: Doerr was never his colleague, or evidence shows Khosla does not use this self-description.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 The Mobile Picture Wars, The Moskovitz Manifesto, And Other Big Themes From TC Disrupt SF | TechCrunch TechCrunch · 17 September 2011

   “During the conference, for instance, Vinod Khosla bemoaned being called a venture “capitalist” and prefers “venture assistant.””

2. E2 Outlook Business I Make a Great Company and the Money Takes Care of Itself Khosla Ventures (reprinting Outlook Business) · 7 December 2013 Own record

   “I never call myself an investor. I say my job is to be an assistant to entrepreneurs. I’m a venture assistant — in the last 30 years I’ve never once called myself a venture capitalist or investor.”

3. E3 Keith Rabois Makes A Surprise Return To Khosla Ventures Forbes · 9 January 2024

   “Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla calls himself a "venture assistant."”

4. E4 Vinod Khosla - Wikipedia Wikipedia

   “In 1986, Khosla joined the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins as a general partner, alongside Sun Microsystems board member John Doerr.”

Independent reports confirm that Khosla calls himself a "venture assistant." TechCrunch reported in 2011 that he prefers the term (E1), and Forbes in January 2024 said he calls himself one (E3); his own 2013 interview reprint repeats it (E2). Wikipedia shows that Khosla and John Doerr were colleagues as general partners at Kleiner Perkins (E4). None of the evidence describes how Doerr reacted to the term, so the self-description and the colleague relationship are confirmed, but Doerr's annoyance is not independently supported.