The audio and video are in Spanish. These notes are a translation.
Today’s guest has traveled an unconventional path in the world of entrepreneurship, from starting as an airplane mechanic to becoming a partner at Y Combinator, the most recognized startup accelerator in Silicon Valley.
His story is pure inspiration for all of us Latinos who are looking to get in and make a place for ourselves in the technology industry.
Today I spoke with Edrizio De La Cruz, a partner at Y Combinator. Before that, Edrizio founded Arcus, a payments technology platform that was sold to Mastercard.
We talked about how humble experiences can shape a leader’s mindset, the importance of being in the “right room,” and the challenges Latinos face when entering the world of startups. In addition, Edrizio told us the unwritten rules of Silicon Valley, how Y Combinator works on the inside, and what has surprised him most about working alongside legends of the startup world such as Garry Tan and Michael Seibel.
Personally, this conversation was a dose of inspiration, and I hope it is for you.
Youtube Timestamps*
[1:18] - Underdog
He has an unconventional background for a founder who sold his startup to Mastercard and is today a partner at Y Combinator.
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How did Edrizio get into the fascinating world of startups?
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What did he learn in his first job as an airplane mechanic that he has applied as a founder?
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How would he say that having had a “humble” job (as some would call it) shaped his way of building companies and leading?
Edrizio grew up in the Bronx and Harlem, places that, as he has told it, were not the best environment for him and that he needed to escape. But it is hard to notice and get out when you are young, whether because of money, family, or friends.
- As they say in the US, “you don’t know, what you don’t know.” When and how did he realize that environment was negative for him?
He has been heard many times giving the advice to “be in the right room.”
- Edrizio explained what he means and how he recommends looking for that room, especially for founders.
Sometimes the room is not very welcoming, because everyone speaks another language, has a different culture, looks different from you, etc. And this happens to a lot of Latinos when they enter the world of startups and technology.
- How can you handle not feeling welcome?
There is an anecdote from when Edrizio went to a country club with his investment banking colleagues and they mistook him for a waiter. It is very easy to feel offended, or like a victim, in these situations.
- How has his personal relationship with the idea of being “underestimated” evolved?
[21:45] - Experience at YC
When he went from being a mechanic to an intern at the investment bank UBS, he joined an NGO program that helped him understand the “unwritten rules of Wall Street” about how to dress, etiquette, how to speak, etc.
- Now that he is at Y Combinator, what would be the unwritten rules that people do not understand about Silicon Valley and the startup world?
Y Combinator is the most admired institution in the world of startups and entrepreneurship.
Edrizio was part of it in 2013 as a founder going through its accelerator. Today, he is a partner, investing in and helping other founders.
- What does a person need in order to become a partner at Y Combinator, and what was that process like?
We all have our own version of what makes Y Combinator so special and why they have had so much success investing in startups, and at such scale.
- Being on the inside. What would he say is Y Combinator’s secret recipe? What does it do differently so that a large % of the startups it touches turn into gold?
Y Combinator has unique things such as peer “accountability,” the community, the speed, and the focus during the weeks of the accelerator program.
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How does he think a founder can replicate these circumstances without going through Y Combinator?
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What is the piece of advice he finds himself giving most in his day to day as a Y Combinator partner?
In the process of going from founder to investor:
- What ideas has he had to unlearn or change his mind about?
Edrizio works with people such as Garry Tan and Michael Seibel, two legendary figures in Silicon Valley.
- What have been his biggest surprises from working closely with people such as Garry Tan or Michael Seibel?
Episode Mentions
You can find Edrizio on LinkedIn
If you want to learn more about Edrizio, you can check his book: The Underdog Founder: How to Go From Unseen to Unstoppable
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Follow Enzo Cavalie on X: @enzocavalie.