Kevin Ryan is one of the leading entrepreneurs and investors in New York. Often called the “Godfather of NYC tech,” he is the founder and CEO of AlleyCorp, a New York based venture capital firm that incubates and invests across healthcare, AI and software, consumer tech, deep tech, and more. Kevin is also the co-founder of several notable companies including MongoDB, Business Insider, Zola, Gilt Groupe, and Transcend Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, Kevin was the CEO of DoubleClick, which he helped grow from a 20-person startup to a publicly-traded company with more than 1,500 employees.
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Timestamps:
Intro from Tim
Kevin Ryan’s entrepreneurial track record
Spotting long-term trends and turning them into businesses
Designing gatherings and trips for great conversations
Second-order thinking and the missed YouTube opportunity
Gilt’s rise, shrinking moat, and knowing when to sell
From Dilbert to DoubleClick: early lessons and fast decisions
AlleyCorp’s model: start narrow, then scale
Recruiting founders and building Business Insider
Recognizing a business crush and choosing what to build
Investing in nuclear energy
Taking money off the table and keeping funds small
Ping-pong and the value of coaching
Making time for family, fitness, and vacation
Psychedelics and the origins of Transcend Therapeutics
Methylone, PTSD trials, and navigating the FDA
Transcend’s public-benefit mission and giving back
Deep tech, robotics, and the next wave of opportunities
Failed startups, MongoDB, and knowing when to persist
A more caring society: inequality, taxes, and opportunity
Immigration and attracting the world’s best talent
Why Kevin is bullish on New York
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