John Kobs

John Kobs

Co-founder and CEO of Apartment List

Website: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkobs
San Francisco, California, United States
Member since April 30, 2010
  • About
Investor interests
Locations of interest
Credentials None
I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

If you're an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?

I want to change the world.

My favorite startups:

Uber, Optimizely, Offerslot, Taskrabbit

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

Recruiting world class caliber teammates is both the hardest and most rewarding part of my job.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?

Assuming revenue is something they can "figure out later."

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

1) People are everything
2) It's a marathon, not a sprint
3) Vision is evolutionary

Full bio

John Kobs is the co-founder and CEO of the San Francisco-based start up Vertical Brands which owns the Webby Award-winning #1 apartment search engine ApartmentList.com. Kobs is a recovering finance geek who came to Silicon Valley from TICC Capital where he focused on technology investing.  Prior to TICC, John was an investment banker at both Thomas Weisel Partners and KeyBanc Capital Markets. He is on the leadership council of the non-profit program Year Up, which aims to close the opportunity divide by giving low-income young adults top internships, job training and improved higher education. Kobs is also on the board of directors of the alumni association of his alma mater Case Western Reserve University where he graduated with a degree in Business Management and a concentration in Finance. He is a Cleveland native and a die-hard fan of his hometown teams.