Garry Tan
President & CEO, Y Combinator — founder, investor, designer-engineer
garry
Noe Valley, San Francisco, California
330.1K connections
Joined March 2024
Summary
Engineer‑turned‑founder and operator: Garry started as a hands-on engineer and designer (early Microsoft and Palantir employee), then co‑founded Posterous and Posthaven. His technical and product background underpins his later roles as an investor and operator, and he frequently teaches product/design tactics to founders. wikipedia+2
Seed investor and firm builder: As the founder and managing partner of Initialized Capital, Garry led early investments in major outcomes (e.g., Coinbase, Instacart) and helped raise multiple funds; he built Initialized into a prominent seed-stage firm before stepping back into a board/advisor role. initialized+2
YC leader and community operator: Returning to Y Combinator as President & CEO in 2023, Garry focuses on scaling YCs founder-facing products and reshaping follow-on investment structure (shifting continuity decisions to group partners) while representing YC publicly and advising founders. ycombinator+1
Public advocate and local civic actor: Garry is an active, public participant in San Francisco local politics—fundraising, donations, and public commentary—making him a polarizing civic figure as well as a tech leader; this activism has attracted extensive press coverage. nytimes+1
Content creator and mentor to founders: Garry consistently produces educational content (YouTube videos, essays, talks) aimed at early-stage founders—reflecting an emphasis on operational advice (product, hiring, management) and on helping founders scale. youtube+2
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
Micromanagement is toxic: Delegation is the cure
A long-form post on leadership and delegation describing steps to delegate effectively and avoid micromanagement—aimed at founders and engineering leaders.
Assorted founder advice posts and essays on Posthaven / YouTube transcripts
Collection of long-form posts and talk transcripts on building startups, hiring, and management; Garry produces regular content for founders (essays and video scripts).
Hobbies
Content creation: hosts a YouTube channel with advice for founders and weekly videos about startups, product and careers. youtube
Long-form blogging and writing on Posthaven (essays for founders and product teams). posthaven
Active engagement in San Francisco civic and political matters (local advocacy and donations). nytimes+1
Notes
GLGabriel Luna-Ostaseskisaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
take a leading role at an investment firm focused on private market deals.Nov 4, 2025
SPSiddhant Paliwalsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impactful C-suite leaders they know at companies known for holding significant intellectual property.Nov 4, 2025
MAMehul Agarwalsaid that if they needed to tap into their professional or alumni network for help in SF,
GTGarry Tan
would be at the top of their list.Nov 1, 2025
RSRoshan Swaroopsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most influential leaders they've worked with in the San Francisco tech scene.Oct 31, 2025
Oct 30, 2025
MAMattia Astorisaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most respected early stage investors in the creator economy.Oct 28, 2025
RSRaphael Schaadsaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
make a strong positive impact by investing in early-stage creator-focused startups.Oct 27, 2025
GAGaurav Arorasaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of their favorite angel investors when it comes to backing promising tech founders at the earliest stages.Oct 24, 2025
KPKanishk Parasharsaid
GTGarry Tan
has provided them with unique insights about the inner workings or partnerships of top VC firms.Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
JEJoshua Earlesaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
make a significant, positive impact on the startups they've invested in as a venture capitalist.Oct 23, 2025
JDJon Dishotskysaid that if they were building a startup,
GTGarry Tan
would be among their top choices for a VC investor.Oct 23, 2025
CLConor Leesaid that if they were investing in a Series A+ startup,
GTGarry Tan
would be among their top picks to lead or co-found it.Oct 23, 2025
DMDave Messinasaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most insightful investors they know for AI or design/developer tool startups.Oct 15, 2025
SPSiddhant Paliwalsaid that if they were recommending someone for a strategic meeting with a fast-growing AI/design founder during SF Tech Week,
GTGarry Tan
would be on their shortlist.Oct 15, 2025
ATAlex Teichmansaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the smartest pre-seed or seed investors they've worked with.Oct 13, 2025
CWCharlene Wangsaid that if they were building an HR Tech company,
GTGarry Tan
would be among the investors they'd most want on board.Oct 8, 2025
ALAbdul Lysaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
tackle complex problems with exceptional insight and creativity.Oct 2, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impressive ex-Palantir folks they've seen tackle startup challenges.Sep 26, 2025
ATAlex Teichmansaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the sharpest thinkers or problem-solvers they know from Y Combinator.Sep 25, 2025
GAGaurav Arorasaid
GTGarry Tan
is among the most intellectually influential people they've encountered in the startup world.Sep 23, 2025
YSYuval Steuersaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impressive co-founders they've worked with at a large or popular company.Sep 21, 2025
Sep 16, 2025
AKAnton Koenigsaid
GTGarry Tan
is someone they'd reach out to if they were looking for a job at a top Silicon Valley startup.Sep 16, 2025
AKAnton Koenigsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most well-connected and respected people they know in venture capital.Sep 16, 2025
DGDhruv Ghulatisaid that if they were looking for a VC with practical startup experience from inside a unicorn,
GTGarry Tan
would be among their first choices to work with.Sep 14, 2025
Sep 12, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
help connect design engineers—especially frontend/UI specialists—to great opportunities or communities.Sep 9, 2025
ATAlex Teichmansaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impressive seed-stage investors they've worked with, especially in AI or ecommerce marketplaces.Sep 3, 2025
RLRobert Lukoshkasaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
make a major difference in fundraising or scaling an investment firm.Aug 23, 2025
ATAustin Tindlesaid
GTGarry Tan
has shown exceptional leadership as a CEO or other executive, truly moving the needle at their company.Aug 21, 2025
RLRobert Lukoshkasaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
play a key role in launching or building a new venture capital institution.Aug 19, 2025
ATAustin Tindlesaid that if they were building a new venture capital fund,
GTGarry Tan
would be high on their list of people to help make it happen.Aug 19, 2025
JGJonah Greenbergersaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
use their resources to make a meaningful impact in STEM or youth initiatives.Aug 13, 2025
Aug 12, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the strongest VC investors they've worked with in terms of judgement and deal-making.Aug 10, 2025
ATAlex Teichmansaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
make a real difference for startups through their mentorship and guidance.Aug 6, 2025
CWCharlene Wangsaid they've seen
GTGarry Tan
make a real difference for startups through their mentorship and guidance.Aug 5, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid they would trust
GTGarry Tan
to lead due diligence or manage a complex investment process.Aug 4, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impressive engineers they've worked with on AI agent technologies.Jul 22, 2025
ATAlex Teichmansaid they would recommend
GTGarry Tan
as an angel investor for a Y Combinator company seeking seed funding.Jul 17, 2025
EMEric Maosaid
GTGarry Tan
is widely considered a leader who has made impactful achievements in their field.Jul 17, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the VCs they most associate with expertise and thought leadership around AI voice agents.Jul 4, 2025
ISIshan Shahsaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most impressive founders they've had a chance to work with or observe.Jul 2, 2025
RERaymund Ed Dominic Bermejosaid
GTGarry Tan
has shown exceptional leadership in launching new ventures or organizations.Jul 2, 2025
DGDhruv Ghulatisaid
GTGarry Tan
is one of the most high-profile tech startup CEOs in the industry right now.Jun 24, 2025