Kyle Harrison

Mike Isaac, NYT tech reporter and Super Pumped author, dives into the Elon courtroom circus. Kyle Harrison, Contrary investor and defense tech writer, maps Anduril’s rise. David Marcus, Lightspark founder and fintech veteran, talks AI-run payments. Turner Caldwell, Mariana Minerals CEO and ex-Tesla metals lead, explores autonomous mining. Everette Taylor, Kickstarter CEO, covers creator economy momentum. Alexander Embiricos, OpenAI product lead, looks at Codex moving beyond coding.

Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary and co-author of The Anduril Thesis, is an investor and researcher focused on defense tech and industrial policy. He unpacks a century of military history, Anduril’s origin story and funding arc, why Lattice is the true product, the rise of Sentry Towers and undersea stakes, and how procurement and talent shape modern defense.

Kyle Harrison, a general partner at Contrary Capital and co-author of the report "Building an American TSMC," discusses the precarious state of U.S. chip manufacturing. He highlights Intel's struggles and the necessity of innovation to reclaim a competitive edge. The conversation delves into the barriers to entry in the semiconductor market, the importance of skilled labor, and the urgent need for America to safeguard its technological capabilities amid rising global tensions.

This discussion features Alex Albert, Head of Developer Relations at Anthropic, who delves into the advancements in AI with their new model, Claude Opus 4.1, emphasizing its superior capabilities in complex tasks. Kyle Harrison, from Contrary Research, analyzes Apple's potential strategies for its massive $100B buyback, while Sean Henry discusses Stord's unique cloud supply chain integration. Scott Kupor shares insights on modernizing talent management in government roles, all while engaging in some light-hearted musings on the latest tech and investment trends.

Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary and writer of the Investing 101 Substack, shares keen insights into the shifting landscape of venture capital. He discusses the varying incentives between capital agglomerators and cottage keepers, emphasizing how fund size influences strategy. The conversation dives into the ethical complexities of funding rival AI projects and the impact of dilution on founders. Harrison also examines the blurred lines between hype and real business value in AI, highlighting the power of narrative in shaping market perceptions.

Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary and a seasoned venture capital expert, shares his insights on the shifting landscape of investment. He discusses the impending demise of 'so-so' venture firms, exploring what criteria lead to their downfall. Kyle highlights the emergence of dominant players reminiscent of Blackstone in venture capital and how increasing fund sizes impact returns. Additionally, his journey from filmmaking to tech investing reveals crucial lessons about market dynamics and the necessary evolution within VC firms.

Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary Capital, shares insights on personal branding in venture capital, the benefits of consistent publishing, note-taking in critical thinking, and the influence of Mormon faith on decision-making. The podcast explores the impact of historical figures on personal growth and emphasizes taking control of one's career and life journey.

Layla Khanfar and Kyle Harrison discuss the growth and challenges of voluntary carbon markets, different types of offsets available, and private companies' role in filling regulatory gaps. They explore BNEF's long-term carbon-market scenarios and the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy, emphasizing the need for quality standards and collaboration to enhance market cohesion.

For this week’s Newcomer podcast, I talked with Contrary general partner Kyle Harrison. We spent the first part of the episode talking about his piece VC Contagion: Is Venture Capital Killing Itself? I just published the essay exclusively in Newcomer. Then, on the podcast Harrison talked about Contrary and its research strategy. The firm has published reports on Stripe, OpenAI, Databricks, and many other private companies.We also discuss whether, when it comes to the private markets, information really wants to be free. Harrison talks about the gossip economy that powers the venture capital industry. This episode of Newcomer is brought to you by VantaSecurity is no longer a cost center — it’s a strategic growth engine that sets your business apart. That means it’s more important than ever to prove you handle customer data with the utmost integrity.But demonstrating your security and compliance can be time-consuming, tedious, and expensive. Until you use Vanta.Vanta’s enterprise-ready Trust Management Platform empowers you to:* Centralize and scale your security program* Automate compliance for the most sought-after frameworks, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR* Earn and maintain the trust of customers and vendors alikeWith Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Win more deals and enable growth quickly, easily, and without breaking the bank.For a limited time, Newcomer listeners get $1,000 off Vanta. Go to vanta.com/newcomer to get started.Find the Podcast Get full access to Newcomer at www.newcomer.co/subscribe

Kyle Harrison, a General Partner at Contrary, shares his expertise on the future of venture capital for founders. He discusses critical shifts in the VC landscape, emphasizing the distinction between large capital managers and specialized funds. Kyle advises entrepreneurs to align with investors who share their vision, particularly favoring smaller, more deliberate funds. The conversation also covers recent tech updates, including Airbnb's new services and Anthropic's Claude models, weaving in valuable insights for navigating investor expectations.