My name is Peter Levine and I am a partner at a16z.

Prior to Andreessen Horowitz, I was the CEO of XenSource, the leading provider of open source virtualization solutions. XenSource was acquired by Citrix Systems in 2007 and following the acquisition, I became the SVP and general manager of the Data Center and Cloud Division at Citrix.

Prior to XenSource, I was a managing director at Mayfield, where I had the opportunity to develop my skills and insights as a professional investor.

Before Mayfield, I spent over a decade at Veritas Software, where I started as an engineer when the company was just a handful of people. Eleven years later, the company was doing $1.5B in revenue and had nearly 6,000 people. At that time, I was one of three executive vice presidents, responsible for OEM Sales, Marketing, M&A, the Veritas venture fund and several platform development groups.

I have a real interest in blending the strategic and operational aspects of building an organization and view myself as a coach to the entrepreneurs I serve. My return to venture capital reflects this interest.

Beyond venture, I spend part of my time teaching at the Stanford GSB. When not teaching or spending time with entrepreneurs, you might find me with my kids or out climbing, hiking or cycling. I am an avid ice climber and mountaineer, and have a goal to hike or climb to the highest point in every state in the US. I’ve been on numerous mountaineering expeditions around the world and often compare these trips to building a company.