Why We Built a VC Firm Like an Intelligence Agency: HUMINT

What does Theory’s Human Intelligence (HUMINT) practice have in common with an actual intelligence case? Given I lack clearance, I wouldn’t deign to claim that territory. My exposure to intelligence workflows was scrubbed, though we ran plenty of illustrative cases throughout my early days at Palantir, including a K9 ride-along with the Sacramento Sheriff gang unit. 

That said, from what I learned holds: human-to-human conversations are an essential input for reaching informed conclusions on “intelligence-shaped” problems. Especially in today’s environment playing whack-a-mole with AI slop, a conversation that surfaces real insights, trends, & patterns is an incredible superpower. 

To that end, we consider the individuals in our network an invaluable resource, and we call these experts our Theorists. What we share with the images of CIA desks connecting people and places with string and push pins is that we care deeply about mapping those individuals to their relevant expertise, organizations, and ultimately their insights. 

We constantly ask, “How can we develop incredibly strong relationships that are bidirectional in value?” 

For us, we learn what challenges their industry experiences to inform the profile of companies & technologies that would solve their problems. 

For our Theorists, they participate in a strong, reciprocal community, with a forum to share their own ideas, challenges, & approaches and vet with high quality peers. Whether through our events, 1:1 conversations, diligences, or other peer networking opportunities, our commitment is to make their time worth it. 

Amber Mante is at the helm of our HUMINT desk. She pairs the strategic brilliance & hustle of a top performing sales executive (Looker, Monte Carlo and Chronosphere to name a few) with the precision data gathering of a former investigative journalist. For our founders, Amber is a critical partner in identifying and brokering introductions.

To make this concrete, take the story of Philip Zelitchenko, a seasoned data executive. We first identified him through his content on managing data as a product. We connected to invite him to speak as a featured guest on our podcast Office Hours, and subsequently to join our invite-only Theorist network.

From there, the relationship compounded. Philip attended dinners with other Theorists, built relationships with peers across the network, and spoke with several of our portfolio company founders, sharing candid, firsthand perspectives from his own experience.

When ready to make a career pivot, Amber and the full Theory team partnered through that evolution, and today his involvement with the community continues: he weighs in on relevant diligences and shares what he’s learning from the vantage point in his new role.

Philip’s arc is just one example of how the Theorist network is meant to work. Theorists get a trusted group of peers with whom they can exchange ideas and form bonds that extend far beyond one event. Founders get access to people who have lived the problems they’re trying to solve. And those conversations help all of us develop a sharper view of where industries are headed and what needs to be built next.

If you’re interested in getting involved, please start by following us on X & LI and join our events!