Colby Goff

Many Hats

at UP Partners / Rustic Canyon Group

Over the past few decades I’ve worn various hats as part of the founding teams of companies in the technology, restaurant and real estate industries. My early career was focused on real estate private equity finance and early-stage technology investing (eCompanies). Subsequently I helped launch technology companies including Boingo Wireless (NASDAQ IPO), Curby (sold to Curbstand) and CloudKitchens as well as the restaurant group, the Rustic Canyon Family of Restaurants. I love the experience of combining art and science to help create new companies with strong vision that improve the world in a meaningful way. I’m an active early stage investor as well as a venture partner with UP Partners in Santa Monica. I’m excited to be a part of the Mucker ecosystem.

California

AI & Data Science, Consumer FinTech, CyberSecurity, DTC (Direct-to-Consumer), FinTech Enterprise, HR Tech, SaaS & B2B Marketplace

enterprise salesfinancial modeling / FP&AGTM strategystart-ups

Articles by Colby Goff

Startup Guide to AI Visibility: Be the Brand ChatGPT Recommends

Introduction Today, users aren’t just searching on Google. They’re asking ChatGPT, Claude, Google’s Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI systems for advice. AI visibility is the new frontier of brand awareness....

Practical Uses of AI & Automation for Startup Operations

In a recent Mucker Growth Series session, we invited Rock Vitale, Founder & CEO of Easie, to share how he’s helped early-stage teams move from manual, fragmented workflows to streamlined,...

2025 New York Tech Week Recap Of Mucker Sessions

Last week during New York Tech Week 2025, we joined more than 1,000 events hosted by founders, investors, and VCs. This post is a full Mucker recap of the three...

How to Build a Customer Support Function for Startups Using AI Tools with Alex Velinov

Delivering high-quality customer support can be one of the most resource-draining parts of a startup. The good news: we’re at a turning point where founders can use AI tools to...

Zero → 100: The Exact Steps We Took to Close Our First 100 Paying Customers

Going from zero customers to 100 in just four months sounds impossible—unless you’re a founder willing to roll up your sleeves and hustle relentlessly. I’m Gaurav Bhattacharya, co-founder of Jeeva.ai,...

Unblocking Startup Growth: Best Practices for Sales Discovery & Qualification with Richard Harris

Startups are in a constant race against time and resources, navigating complex sales environments with lean teams and limited margins for error. In a recent session from the Mucker Growth...