Garry Tan

Accelerationist

Name: Garry Tan
Twitter: @garrytan

Garry Tan (born March 21, 1981) is a notable accelerationist figure in the tech industry, known for his extensive work as an entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer. As a prominent leader and influencer in the startup and venture capital ecosystems, Tan has significantly contributed to the growth and success of numerous companies.

Early life and education

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Garry Tan grew up in Fremont, California, where he attended American High School. He pursued his higher education at Stanford University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering. During his time at Stanford, Tan was actively involved in various activities and societies, including the Asia Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society, Stanford Consulting, and the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.

Career

Early in his career, Tan worked as a software engineer intern at companies like Sun Microsystems and TheMan.com, and later at Sapient.
He served as a employee #10 and lead engineer at Palantir Technologies, where he played a pivotal role in product development and also designed the company's logo.
Tan's entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding the blogging platform Posterous, which was acquired by Twitter.
He was a partner at Y Combinator from 2011 to 2015, where he helped build essential parts of the YC experience for founders.
In 2012, Tan co-founded Initialized Capital with Alexis Ohanian, focusing on seed and Series A funding for early-stage startups. The firm has a remarkable track record, with several unicorns in its portfolio.
Tan returned to Y Combinator, taking on the role of President and CEO in January 2023.

Achievements in venture capital

Garry Tan's work with numerous startups at Y Combinator and Initialized Capital has led to a combined worth of $226 billion for these companies.
He has reviewed more than 6,000 YC applications and advised over 35 unicorn companies.
Primary source of earnings comes from his venture capitalist ventures.
As of 2023, his estimated net worth stands at approximately $750M.

Awards and recognition

Recognized on Forbes Lists, including #2 on the Midas Seed List 2023, #6 on the Midas List: Top Tech Investors 2023, the Midas List 2019, and the Midas Brink List 2018.
Ranked among the top 50 Angel Investors in Silicon Valley in 2018.
Listed as one of the top 20 Angel Investors of 2014 by CB Insights.
Included in the 40 Under 40 in Silicon Valley list in 2013.

Published works

Quotes

Being born in the late 20th century and being interested in computers and capable of programming them is basically like winning the lottery.
Bitcoin has the potential to destroy credit cards and banks as we know it. Maybe that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I like the idea that if someone needs to remit payments, they can do it without being gouged.
To create the future you need a beginner’s mind: In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few.
When hiring most positions, raw talent and energy beats the resume. There are a lot of diamonds in the rough waiting to be found out there.
Shake Shack started as a money losing burger kiosk to revive an NYC park. The best things start with love, not money.
Often new markets are won before anyone knows there's a contest. Great founders secure the prize before others are even aware it exists.
People join rocket ships, not question marks.
The biggest mismatch in tech is too many founders can execute but can't sell. Others only sell and can't execute. Both are necessary.