Nick Porter

Let me drop some knowledge about Nick Porter, the guy’s a straight-up tech wizard and a legit startup beast. So, he’s the founder and CTO of 42 Technologies out in SF, right? This isn’t some random company, it’s a killer business intelligence platform for omnichannel retailers. Basically, he built the tools that big retailers use to make sense of all their data across stores, online, wherever. The guy’s been crushing it since forever.

He jumped into the scene through Y Combinator’s W14 batch, which is no joke. That’s basically the startup Olympics. Started 42 Technologies back in January 2013, so he’s been at it for over a decade now. That kind of longevity, especially in tech, shows he’s not just riding a hype wave, he’s genuinely dialed in on building real stuff that sticks.

His background? Super solid. He’s got a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Carleton University, which is a good foundation. But what really shows his hustle is his past gigs. Before he went all-in on his startup, he was at Benbria, working as a Software Engineer. He was deep into Node.js backend stuff, building APIs and changing routing. That’s the kind of experience that makes you understand how to scale real enterprise-grade products, not just tinkering, but building the stuff that big companies rely on.

And get this, he also interned at Adacel, where he was the Project Technical Lead, working on Air Traffic Control simulators for military clients. That’s some intense, high-stakes tech. Shows he’s not afraid of complex, essential projects and can handle the pressure.

Now, what does all this say about him? For starters, he’s super motivated. From college to military-grade aviation tech, to YC, and then building his own billion-dollar-like platform, he’s all about creating the real deal. His process screams that he’s obsessed with building stuff that matters, not just chasing quick wins. He’s someone who’s jumped into the deep end multiple times, learned the ropes, and then used that to crush in startups.

Plus, he’s recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30, which is basically the industry’s stamp of “this guy’s the real deal.” He’s known for building startup-grade enterprise products, which means he’s got that rare combo, technical genius + startup hustle. And he’s bilingual too, French and English, so he’s got that global vibe.

Today, 42 Technologies has grown to a team of 11-50 people and snagged some serious investment from top-tier investors. That’s not easy, it means he’s not just a good coder, he’s a legit leader who can turn a vision into a expandable business.

Bottom line? Nick Porter’s story is all about relentless pursuit of building effective tech, from his early days coding at Benbria, leading military tech projects at Adacel, to now running a company that’s changing retail data game. Dude’s the embodiment of what startup grit looks like, smart, driven, and always pushing forward. No Cap, he’s definitely one to watch.