Career of Garry Tan
Garry Tan, born in 1981 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a prominent venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and software engineer. He is best known for his roles as the co-founder of Initialized Capital and the CEO of Y Combinator.
Early Career
Tan's career began with a strong foundation in computer systems engineering, which he studied at Stanford University from 1999 to 2003. During his time at Stanford, he was involved in various activities and societies, including the Asia Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society, Stanford Consulting, and the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.
Palantir Technologies
After graduating, Tan joined Palantir Technologies as one of its earliest employees. At Palantir, he worked as a designer and engineering manager, contributing significantly to the company's early development, including designing the company logo.
Posterous and Posthaven
In 2008, Tan co-founded Posterous, a blogging platform that gained significant traction for its simplicity and ease of use. Posterous was eventually acquired by Twitter in 2012 for $20 million. Following the shutdown of Posterous, Tan co-founded Posthaven to continue providing a reliable blogging platform for users.
Y Combinator
Tan joined Y Combinator in 2011 as a designer in residence and later became a partner. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in shaping the YC experience for founders, including the development of key tools like Bookface and the Demo Day website. Tan was instrumental in compiling a directory of top interaction and visual designers and wrote the first seed round check for Coinbase in 2012.
Initialized Capital
In 2012, Tan co-founded Initialized Capital with Alexis Ohanian and Harjeet Taggar. The venture capital firm quickly gained a reputation for its successful investments in early-stage startups. Initialized Capital's first funding round raised $7 million, followed by a $39 million round in 2013 and a $115 million third fund in 2016. The firm has invested in over 200 startups, including Instacart and Coinbase.
Return to Y Combinator
In January 2023, Tan returned to Y Combinator as its President and CEO. Under his leadership, YC has continued to support and accelerate the growth of numerous startups, maintaining its position as one of the most influential startup accelerators in the world.
Political Engagement
Beyond his professional achievements, Tan is also known for his engagement in San Francisco politics. He has been an active commentator on social media and a political donor, often aligning with moderate Democrats and occasionally clashing with progressives.
Personal Investments and Recognition
Tan has made 88 personal investments and 28 exits, according to AngelList. He has been recognized in various lists, including the Midas Brink List by Forbes and the 40 under 40 in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. As of 2021, his net worth is estimated to be $200 million.