Aaron Harris

Lowkey, you gotta hear about Aaron Harris, guy’s a straight-up legend in the startup world but not your typical Silicon Valley hype. Dude’s been in the trenches, crushed it at YC, and now he’s all about helping founders actually succeed, not just throwing money around.

So, Aaron’s a W11 YC alum, that’s the Winter ’11 batch. Before all that, he graduated cum laude from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, which is kinda funny ’cause you’d think he’d be all about the books, but nah, he jumped straight into the startup game. First big gig? Co-founded Tutorspree, a YC-backed platform connecting students with tutors. He was CEO there, ran it from 2010 to 2013, so he’s got that founder hustle drilled in early.

Then, he jumped into the VC scene big time. He spent like 7.5 years as a Partner at YC, that’s a lifetime in startup years, where he funded over 1000 companies, some of the biggest names like Deel and Opensea. He basically helped YC’s portfolio raise billions, like $3-4 billion in total. That’s no small feat. He was the dude who helped founders guide the fundraising jungle, especially Series A/B. He built YC’s Series A Program too, which is pretty much the blueprint for how early-stage startups get their first big checks.

But Aaron’s not just a VC geek. He’s a technologist, investor, adviser, the real deal. After YC, he didn’t just sit on the sidelines. He co-founded Magid & Company, which is all about giving founders unconflicted, honest advice on scaling and Series A/B funding. Think of him as that mentor you want in your corner, no bullshit, straight talk, just real help. He’s still building Magid & Co., investing, and mentoring the next wave of founders.

What’s crazy is his process, from Harvard to startups, to VC, and now back to helping founders grow. It tells you a lot about what motivates him: he genuinely cares about founders winning, about the grind, about making sure entrepreneurs get the right guidance and support. He’s been through the startup wars, seen the pitfalls, and now he’s channeling all that experience into making sure others don’t screw up the same way.

Basically, Aaron Harris is one of those guys who’s been around the block, crushed it in multiple roles, and now he’s just all-in on building the system for startups to thrive. He’s not just about funding, he’s about mentorship, real advice, and making sure founders get the tools to actually succeed. That’s what makes him so important, he’s got the scars, the skills, and the heart to help startups not just survive but crush it. No cap.