From the lecture halls of SRM University in Chennai to a seat at the White House, Sriram Krishnan’s journey is one of dint of hard work and deep passion for technology. Coming from a middle-class family, Sriram grew up loving technology and innovation.
On December 23, 2024, Krishnan’s extraordinary journey eventually culminated in him being nominated as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on AI by US President-elect Donald Trump.
He started coding at a time when neither computers nor the internet were considered basics. He grew up without having internet access, Krishnan would buy coding books and practice coding basics every night, prompting him to pursue a career in information technology, according to a BBC report published in Novemeber, 2022.
Unlike many of his peers who stuck to mugging up textbooks, he had already turned programming into a passion and a daily habit.
He created one of India’s first tech blogs when the Indian tech community was still at its nascent stage. Krishnan’s blog became a destination for aspiring programmers.
“In 2004, when Sriram was graduating from SRM University, I discovered his blog — one of the first programming blogs from India. I was so impressed I wanted to hire him, but Microsoft had already done that,” Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu on X (formerly Twiter) after the announcement.
The Beginnings: Microsoft
After graduating with a B.Tech degree in 2004, Krishnan was deeply involved in building and scaling cloud services at Microsoft, a domain that would soon become central to the future of AI.
It would be only the start of a career that would carry Krishnan up the ranks at some of the most powerful tech companies in the world. His work on Microsoft Azure helped the company’s cloud platform become one of the leading services in the market.
It was during this time that Krishnan also became an inventor, with multiple patents filed in his name around cloud computing.
Following his Microsoft stint, Krishnan's career path took him to Facebook, where he was instrumental in scaling some of the company’s best-performing products.
Facebook, Snapchat: Up, up, and above
Following his Microsoft stint, Krishnan's career path took him to Facebook, where he was instrumental in scaling some of the company’s best-performing products.
He ran several billion-dollar businesses, including the Facebook Audience Network, which helped broaden the company’s advertising revenue. Facebook grew tremendously under his leadership, and Krishnan’s role became critical to the company’s ability to monetise the platform.
Yet Krishnan, at Facebook, was never one to rest. In 2016, he took the plunge to Snapchat’s parent company, Snap.
While at Snap, he led the company’s direct response business. Krishnan’s work at Snap allowed the company to zero in on its advertising strategy, a key for any long-term success.
Teething Twitter
Krishnan's stint was in Twitter, now X, as its Senior Director of Product.
At the time, the microblogging site was facing its own unique issues and Krishnan was leading the company’s core consumer product teams. Twitter saw impressive growth under his leadership, including a borderline 20 percent penetration jump in annual growth.
Moreover, his strategic vision off the golf course helped his technology leadership better the user experience on the platform, thereby making it a more engaging space for its users.
His vision was strategic and in a way off the golf course, shaping the tech leadership around him to make the experience in the platform better for every user.
It was on Twitter where Krishnan’s profile in tech took off.
A company that was playing an increasingly prominent role during the time, Krishnan found himself standing at the intersection of tech, politics, and public discussion. Within the industry, his work was extremely well known, and his thoughts on product strategy were frequently sought after by business leaders.
Also read: Sriram Krishnan is ‘helping’ Elon Musk with Twitter.
Venturing into Venture Capital
Simultaneously, when Krishnan was working in his corporate role, he was also nurturing a growing portfolio as an angel investor. He invested early in some of the most promising startups in tech, such as Figma, Notion, Cameo, Coda, SpaceX, and Cred.
Additionally, his vision and ability to identify trends in Web3, cryptocurrency, and other emerging technologies also established him as a forward-thinking and visionary tech leader.
In 2019, Krishnan came on board as a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he guided investments in AI, Web3, and other technologies.
His work at venture capital firm a16z broadened his influence in the field, and he soon established himself as one of Silicon Valley’s top investors.
The husband-wife duo set the ball rolling during the Covid pandemic on Twitter's clubhouse. This is when their profile really picked up. Consequently, they interviewed the who's who of the tech world such as Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz's general partner Marc Andreessen, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Recognising his potential, Musk also roped in Sriram when he took over Twitter.
The Krishnan Podcast
“Change is the only constant”, seemed to be Krishnan’s mantra.
From corporate leadership and investing, he soon stepped into public speaking and contributed to discussions on the future of technology.
Krishnan, along with his wife Aarthi Ramamurthy started co-hosting the “Aarthi and Sriram” podcast, a hit show at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Fast forward to early 2024, the podcast has gained massive traction, with listeners returning to hear Krishnan and Ramamurthy talk about topics ranging from Web3 to AI.
Through his podcast, he shared his thoughts on the future of technology and the impact of policy in the future.
Krishnan’s skill in explaining complicated tech concepts in approachable language also made him a popular speaker at industry conferences and panels.
The White House Dream
Announcing the appointment, Trump said, “Sriram Krishnan will serve as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.” The appointment is part of a broader push to shape US policy on artificial intelligence (AI).
Krishnan, who has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap, will collaborate with David O. Sacks, the newly designated White House AI & Crypto Czar.
“Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will help ensure continued American leadership in AI and shape policy coordination across government, including engagement with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,” Trump added.
"I'm honored to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with," Krishnan wrote on his former company’s platform, X.
Also read: Elon Musk’s Indian-origin advisor defends Twitter’s pay-for-verification plan
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