Grey Baker

Yo, you gotta hear about Grey Baker. This guy’s the real deal in the startup world. So, he’s part of YC’s S23 batch, which already says something-these guys only pick the best. But what’s crazy is his process. Started out at McKinsey, grinding as a strategy consultant, then jumped into tech at GoCardless. And man, he didn’t just chill there. He was VP of Product and Engineering, helping that thing blow up from 6 to over 100 people and scaling their monthly volume from a hundred grand to a hundred million pounds. Yeah, you heard that right-massive growth.

What’s wild is Grey didn’t just ride that wave passively. He taught himself to code, which is pretty uncommon for someone coming from consulting. He played a huge role in building GoCardless’s anti-fraud and AML systems, even helping them get their FCA license-no bullshit, that’s some legit technical and planned smarts right there.

But here’s where it gets even more interesting. Grey’s a total adventurer-cycled almost 30,000 km around the world. Imagine that-just him and a bike, crossing continents, no plan, just seeing what’s out there. That kind of process? It screams passion for pushing boundaries, for experiencing life beyond the 9-to-5 grind. When he gets back, he’s not just gonna settle down. Nah, he jumps into startups again, this time focusing on healthcare. Started a healthcare-focused company, probably because he saw a need and wanted to make a difference.

And then, he co-founds Dependabot, which is pretty much the coolest thing for developers. It automates dependency updates, saves stacks of time, and makes software safer. That project? It’s a side hustle that turned into a legit success. Dependabot got acquired by GitHub, which is a big win. And after that, Grey just shifts gears into volunteering full-time, helping a healthcare org with software decisions-he’s all about having an effect, not just chasing the next big payday.

What does all this say about him? Dude’s driven by curiosity, a need to build stuff that matters, and a hunger to learn. Making money or riding trends? That’s not his game. He’s all about solving real problems-whether it’s building anti-fraud tech at GoCardless or fixing dependency nightmares for devs. From strategy to coding to launching startups and giving back, it’s clear he’s obsessed with growth-personal, tech, social-whatever it takes.

Grey Baker’s story? It’s about pushing limits, constantly learning, and making stuff that actually changes things. That’s why he’s so important. Not just another founder, but a guy who’s really walking the walk, blending hustle, heart, and mad skills. No Cap.