What Happened to Jake Knapp?
Jake Knapp is a New York Times bestselling author and the creator of the Design Sprint methodology, a five-day process for solving big problems and testing new ideas. After a decade at Google and Google Ventures, he co-founded Character Capital in 2021, a venture capital firm that invests in and guides early-stage startups using his proven sprint methods. His latest book, "Click: How to Make What People Want," co-authored with John Zeratsky, was published in April 2025, introducing the two-day "Foundation Sprint."
Quick Answer
Jake Knapp is currently a co-founder and General Partner at Character Capital, a venture capital firm he launched in December 2021 with John Zeratsky and Eli Blee-Goldman, which focuses on seed investments and utilizes sprint methodologies to aid startups. He continues to be a prominent speaker and workshop facilitator on design sprints and time management. His most recent book, "Click: How to Make What People Want," was released in April 2025, further expanding on his innovation frameworks.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline10 events
Product Designer at Microsoft
Jake Knapp worked as a Product Designer at Microsoft, contributing to projects including Microsoft Encarta.
Invented the Design Sprint at Google
Jake Knapp created the Design Sprint process while working at Google, with its first application during the founding of Google Meet.
Joined Google Ventures as Design Partner
Knapp brought the Design Sprint to Google Ventures (GV), where he and his team refined and applied the process to over 100 portfolio companies.
Published "Sprint" book
Jake Knapp, along with John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz, published the New York Times bestseller "Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days."
Partnered with AJ&Smart for Design Sprint trainings
Jake Knapp began collaborating with Berlin-based AJ&Smart to offer Design Sprint trainings and later launched a comprehensive online Masterclass.
Published "Make Time" book
Jake Knapp co-authored "Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day" with John Zeratsky.
Co-founded Character Capital
Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Eli Blee-Goldman launched Character Capital, a venture capital firm focused on seed investments and utilizing sprint methods.
Published "Click" book
Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky released their third book, "Click: How to Make What People Want," which introduces the two-day "Foundation Sprint."
Discussed Character Capital and new book on podcast
Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky appeared on Lenny's podcast to discuss Character Capital, Character Labs, and their latest book 'Click,' emphasizing decision-making discipline in investing and product development.
Continues work with Character Capital and workshops
As of today, Jake Knapp remains a Co-Founder and General Partner at Character Capital and continues to lead workshops and speak on design sprints and time management, while also serving as a guest instructor at Harvard Business School.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Jake Knapp's career is marked by his significant contributions to product design, innovation, and venture capital. He began his journey in the tech industry, contributing to products like Microsoft Encarta and Gmail, and notably co-founding Google Meet.
His most impactful work at Google began in 2010 when he invented the Design Sprint process, a structured five-day methodology for rapidly solving critical business problems and testing new ideas. This process was initially developed and refined while working on projects such as Chrome and Google Search. In 2012, Knapp brought the Design Sprint to Google Ventures (now GV), where he served as a Design Partner. During his tenure at GV, he and his team applied and perfected the sprint method with over 100 portfolio companies, including notable startups like Slack, Nest, 23andMe, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Flatiron Health, helping them navigate product development and market fit.
Knapp cemented his expertise in these methodologies through his New York Times bestselling books. "Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days," co-authored with John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz, was published in 2016 and quickly became a seminal guide for teams worldwide. This was followed by "Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day" in 2018, co-authored with John Zeratsky, which shifted focus to personal productivity and intentional living.
A significant turning point in Knapp's career came in December 2021 when he, along with John Zeratsky and Eli Blee-Goldman, co-founded Character Capital. This venture capital firm focuses on seed-stage investments, aiming to support startups not just with funding but also by actively applying Design Sprint and a new "Foundation Sprint" methodology to help them achieve product-market fit rapidly. Character Capital is actively investing from a $52 million fund.
In April 2025, Knapp and Zeratsky released their third book, "Click: How to Make What People Want." This book introduces the two-day "Foundation Sprint," a streamlined process designed to help startups validate ideas and compress months of work into a concise period, focusing on differentiation as a key predictor of success. As of April 2026, Jake Knapp continues his role as Co-Founder and General Partner at Character Capital, actively engaging with the startup ecosystem. He also remains a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, sharing his insights on design strategy, innovation, and time management, and serves as a guest instructor at Harvard Business School.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Jake Knapp made different choices?