Andreessen Horowitz Hires a New Partner?from Sales?

When Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz launched their venture firm, they talked a good game about things being different; about having a smorgasbord of partners skilled in different areas that could tag in-and-out of portfolio companies as appropriate. And a lot of that sounded like the usual "value-add" venture capital spiel.

But two funds into the firm's life, that vision is starting to take shape. Witness today's announcement that Mark Cranney will be joining the firm as a partner. Cranney isn't some techy whiz-kid, visionary founder or even a financial wizard. He's a sales and operations guy and his job will be to help teach Andreessen Horowitz's predominately engineer-centric founders and CEOs to be a little bit more like those things many of them decry: a sales guy, an MBA, a grown-up manager. Look at him! He even looks like a sales guy!

Nichole Robinson Nicky Hilton Nicole Richie Nicole Scherzinger Nicollette Sheridan