USVP operates as an extended company-building partner with deep operational expertise spanning four decades. The firm believes in working very closely with entrepreneurs over several years, typically serving on company boards and functioning as strategic advisors who combine investment capital with hands-on guidance. Their philosophy emphasizes that venture capitalists should be ‘part of the company building process’ and ‘partner on the board’ to founders, providing counsel grounded in decades of experience while maintaining humility about their coaching role.