Camille Ricketts on Lessons from Tesla, Scaling Community at Notion, and Life in Venture Capital

In this episode of Clover, I’m joined by Camille Ricketts, now a partner at XYZ Venture Capital and formerly a marketing leader at Tesla, First Round Capital, and Notion.

Camille’s career journey has been anything but linear—starting as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal, moving into communications at Tesla, where she worked directly with Elon Musk, then pioneering content marketing with First Round Review, and later scaling community-led growth at Notion. Today, she brings that breadth of experience to her work in venture capital, helping founders and startups thrive.

We cover:

• What it’s like to pivot when the path you’ve been working toward isn’t the right fit.
• Lessons from building Tesla’s early communications team and learning from Elon’s leadership style.
• How Camille created the First Round Review, one of the most influential startup content platforms.
• What it takes to scale community and user-led storytelling at Notion.
• Why understanding which “stage” of company you thrive in is essential to building your career.
• How Camille defines success today—by helping others rise and giving credit away.

Camille’s story is a reminder that careers aren’t ladders—they’re winding, evolving journeys built on curiosity, adaptability, and purpose.

Related links or mentions within the episode:

• Communities / Resources:
  • Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets (book)
  • 'Give Away Your Legos' and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups (article)
  • Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (book)
• Social Media / Links:
  • Twitter/X: @CamilleRicketts
  • LinkedIn: Camille Ricketts