Costanoa Ventures is an early-stage investor with offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, California. Their focus on startups in the early stages of development means they’re often sharing their office space with employees of the portfolio companies they’re supporting, which can lead to complications when it comes to internet infrastructure.
As Director of Operations for Costanoa, Pamela Magie is tasked with ensuring everyone who comes into the office can get online and get to work, seamlessly integrating her background in operations with the IT knowledge she’s acquired over her years with Costanoa.
“We’re only 20 people,” Pamela tells us, “but what’s unique about us is that we share our space with the companies we invest in.” Costanoa has a portfolio of more than 75 companies, many based in the Bay Area without fixed offices. And those out-of-towners visiting their customers in SF consider Costanoa their home away from home. “Every day is different. Monday, we may have four people from one company using the conference room for a board meeting, then Tuesday, a dozen engineers are in hot desks and huddling around our whiteboards, mid-sprint.”
Venture brings a unique set of concerns
In the VC world, security is always top of mind. However, with such a large revolving cast of people using their space, Costanoa also had definite requirements for ease of use. “Meter’s been really great,” says Pamela. “With our shifting office population and need for vigilance in all things cybersecurity, the ease with which I can adjust settings or create a new segment for visiting executives is a huge help.”
Pamela’s main daily concern is that whoever may come in to use the space can get in, get set up, and get online without any hiccups.
“What our companies need is a reliable connection for Zoom calls and collaboration space with solid Wi-Fi. That’s the service Meter is enabling us to provide for them.” Pamela Magie Director of Operations, Costanoa Ventures
That need for consistent connection speed led to a potential concern for Pamela when getting started with Meter. “Our Comcast fiber in this office is really solid, so it was reassuring when you told me you could work with our existing connection in that regard.”
Whatever your situation, Meter is there to help
Meter has your back with a single monthly bill that covers everything—hardware, software, regular maintenance, and 24/7 operations. Plus, the intuitive Meter Dashboard gives you access to just enough data and settings to manage your network’s daily workings without being overwhelming. Together, these features make managing your network simple and stress-free.
“The fact that during installation, I didn’t have to coordinate with all the installers and other providers because I knew the Meter team was on top of it, that was amazing,” Pamela recalls. And instead of the messy wiring closet they had before, Pamela got a bespoke Meter IDF that contained everything Costanoa needed and nothing they didn’t.
“I’m the sort of person that wants to try to figure it out myself first, whatever ‘it’ might be. Logging into the Meter Dashboard and seeing where our capacity is has made the IT portion of my job so much easier.” Pamela Magie Director of Operations, Costanoa Ventures
Should she experience an outage or other issue with the network, Pamela knows her first stop is the Meter Dashboard. “The fact that I can pop into the Dashboard and see who’s online, what the AP status is, and where the problem lies is invaluable. The one time we had some intermittent client drops from an AP, I saw the issue in the Dashboard just as Meter contacted me to let me know they were already on it. Amazing.”
If and when Costanoa looks to expand or relocate offices, Pamela can rest assured that Meter is ready to scale right alongside them. “As small as we are, we’re never likely to have a dedicated IT person,” Pamela explains. “So it’s comforting to know that, when it comes time to move or expand, I have Meter’s team acting as an extension of my own.”
“I would say Meter is on my team, and that’s a huge plus to me knowing that I have such a solid partner already in place and ready for what comes next.” Pamela Magie Director of Operations, Costanoa Ventures