Bill Reichert has spent decades shaping Silicon Valley as a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, author of “Get to Wow with Investors: Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets“, and educator. He co-founded and built startups, Co-founder Garage Technology Ventures with Guy Kawasaki, currently General Partner at Pegasus Tech Ventures, co-directs the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs Accelerator, and serves as Chief Evangelist of the Startup World Cup. He’s also taught at Stanford and UC Berkeley, bringing real-world startup lessons into the classroom. With a Harvard degree and an MBA from Stanford, his career bridges the worlds of academia, venture capital, and entrepreneurship.
But how did he end up teaching the very first ClassX masterclass in Silicon Valley?
The Meeting
I met Bill during a startup event, and we instantly clicked. At one point, he introduced me to Douglas Leone by saying, “Wala is super scrappy, and I know you like scrappy.” I couldn’t stop laughing.
During our conversation, he looked at me and asked:
“So that’s the thing? You’re telling me if I want to give a class about Getting to Wow with Investors, I can use your platform to connect with a venue to offer this class in-person and students will come to learn?”
I said YES. And just like that, the challenge was on.
The First Class
There was only one problem. I didn’t have a product fully ready for the US market. Our terms didn’t even apply to American consumers yet. And even with all my globe-trotter comfort of feeling at home everywhere, I barely knew anyone here to sell to.
But I started anyway.
The class was full. The energy was unmatched. The learning experience was mind-blowing. Everyone was buzzing with it, including me, running around doing photography, camera work, and a dozen other tasks at once.
It was fun.
That month, imposter syndrome decided to pay me a visit. The first thing I did when we wrapped up was run to the students and ask, “Are you happy? Was it what you expected?”
One of them smiled and said, “I’ve never learned this way, not even in college.”
Then Bill turned to me and said, “So… when are we doing this again? I can do one each quarter.”
An MVP That Sparked a Movement
That was our MVP in Silicon Valley. And what an MVP it was. We started rebuilding ClassX around this first experience, iterating the same class, learning again and again.
I feel very blessed to have had this as a starting point in such a crazily innovative place.
Bill’s Legacy
Bill’s decision to step in as the first ClassX instructor in Silicon Valley was more than just a class. It was a statement. Here was someone who had written Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets for Entrepreneurs, sat through thousands of startup pitches, and taught at Stanford and Berkeley, bringing his frameworks directly to founders in an in-person, hands-on format.
The students loved it. The model worked. And for ClassX, it was proof that this vision, connecting world-class instructors to real rooms full of learners, was ready for Silicon Valley.
What’s Next
The second edition of Getting to Wow! is coming soon. And the second edition of the Get to Wow with Investors class? It will be here this fall.
From Harvard to Stanford, from Garage Technology Ventures to ClassX, Bill Reichert’s journey is a testament to the power of experience, connection, and the courage to say yes to something new.
We love you Bill!
