Kevin Ryan, the Godfather of NYC Tech, on AI in the Decade Ahead
Wed Jan 28 2026
Kevin Ryan is known as the godfather of New York City tech. Over three decades, he's founded or backed companies worth more than $40 billion combined, including DoubleClick (acquired by Google), MongoDB (now valued at $30 billion), Business Insider (sold for $450 million), and Gilt Group. As founder of AlleyCorp, Kevin has spent his career building category-defining companies and correctly predicting major technology shifts before they happened. From betting on the internet in 1996 to understanding AI's trajectory today, Kevin shares his framework for seeing what's next and why speed executed properly changes everything.
What You'll Learn:
How Kevin spotted the internet would change everything in 1996 and the patterns he uses to see what's next
The two categories Kevin is betting on: vertical AI applications and deep science breakthroughs
Why winning the first four years matters more than anything else
How to compete for top 0.1% talent in today's market
Kevin's 2036 predictions for work, NYC vs SF, and where technology is headed
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction02:10 Kevin's Childhood 05:00 Reflecting on His Entrepreneurship Journey08:30 Speed Matters11:15 The Feeling When You Know a Company Is the One14:58 Why You Need Top 0.1% Talent17:00 Two Categories Kevin Is Betting On20:00 Drawing the Defensibility Line in Vertical AI22:22 Thinking About the Product23:10 Acceleration of Science and When Kevin's Antenna Goes Up25:08 What the World Looks Like in 203627:00 Job Loss and AI Displacement32:00 San Francisco vs New York City38:18 What Kevin Hopes for NYC Tech40:50 Interesting Topics Kevin Is Exploring42:36 Quickfire Round
Follow AlleyCorp and Kevin:
AlleyCorp Website
AlleyCorp LinkedIn
Kevin Ryan LinkedIn
Follow Inspired:
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Kevin Ryan is known as the godfather of New York City tech. Over three decades, he's founded or backed companies worth more than $40 billion combined, including DoubleClick (acquired by Google), MongoDB (now valued at $30 billion), Business Insider (sold for $450 million), and Gilt Group. As founder of AlleyCorp, Kevin has spent his career building category-defining companies and correctly predicting major technology shifts before they happened. From betting on the internet in 1996 to understanding AI's trajectory today, Kevin shares his framework for seeing what's next and why speed executed properly changes everything. What You'll Learn: How Kevin spotted the internet would change everything in 1996 and the patterns he uses to see what's next The two categories Kevin is betting on: vertical AI applications and deep science breakthroughs Why winning the first four years matters more than anything else How to compete for top 0.1% talent in today's market Kevin's 2036 predictions for work, NYC vs SF, and where technology is headed Chapters: 00:00 Introduction02:10 Kevin's Childhood 05:00 Reflecting on His Entrepreneurship Journey08:30 Speed Matters11:15 The Feeling When You Know a Company Is the One14:58 Why You Need Top 0.1% Talent17:00 Two Categories Kevin Is Betting On20:00 Drawing the Defensibility Line in Vertical AI22:22 Thinking About the Product23:10 Acceleration of Science and When Kevin's Antenna Goes Up25:08 What the World Looks Like in 203627:00 Job Loss and AI Displacement32:00 San Francisco vs New York City38:18 What Kevin Hopes for NYC Tech40:50 Interesting Topics Kevin Is Exploring42:36 Quickfire Round Follow AlleyCorp and Kevin: AlleyCorp Website AlleyCorp LinkedIn Kevin Ryan LinkedIn Follow Inspired: Website LinkedIn X Instagram Substack