Y Combinator
Check: $500K (standard YC deal: $500K for ~7% equity via SAFE). Also invests via YC Continuity Fund at later stages.
Builder-designer-investor. 'Make something people want' is the entire thesis — inherited from Paul Graham's YC founding philosophy and now amplified by Garry's builder ethos. Believes we're in a golden age where a single person with AI can build what used to take a team of 20 — the '20x company' thesis. Previously co-founded Posterous, was a partner at YC, then founded Initialized Capital (early Coinbase, Instacart, Cruise, Flexport). Returned to lead YC in January 2023 after the Sam Altman / Geoff Ralston era. Strong emphasis on craft, design, and actually shipping. Has repositioned YC to be even more founder-friendly: increased deal size to $500K, expanded batch sizes, launched new programs. Believes YC's most important function is community — connecting founders with each other and with the alumni network. Politically active in San Francisco — ran for mayor-adjacent roles and advocates for pro-building, pro-business policies in SF.
Pre-SeedSeedSeries A (via Continuity)