What VCs look for in founders | Company Ventures CEO & Managing Partner Matt Harrigan

In this episode, Justin speaks with Matt Harrigan. He’s the CEO & Managing Partner of Company Ventures, an early stage investing platform based in New York City that also oversees the Grand Central Tech founder residency program.
Timestamps:
0:45 - What is Company Ventures?
1:13 - Four things that separate exceptional venture communities
2:45 - How Grand Central Tech evaluates good vs. exceptional founders
4:11 - The quality Matt looks for in founders
5:44 - The businesses that shouldn’t consider venture funding
7:04 - Is AI the last paradigm shift?
8:01 - Why NYC founders should apply to Grand Central Tech
9:13 - How to write a great Grand Central Tech application
11:09 - Matt’s Modern Founder Ethos
14:30 - Where founders go wrong with startup cultures
18:08 - What founders can learn from Neil Degrasse Tyson
22:32 - The cab driver test with paradigm shifts
23:28 - NYC vs. other startup hubs
24:42 - NYC tech 10 years ago vs. today
28:13 - Factors that held back NYC tech
28:55 - The 2024 Grand Central Tech cohort
30:52 - The metric where NYC has reached parity with SF
Links
- Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: / matthew-harrigan-1935975
- Company Ventures: companyventures.co/
- Grand Central Tech: companyventures.co/grand-cent...
- Rho: rho.co