Marketing Darwinism caught up recently with Brian Neirby CEO and Founder of Red Dragonfly VC
1. Brian, tell us about Red Dragonfly’s thesis? What are you looking to do differently in the world of investment?
We believe the VC space has been watered down by funders that lack any operating expertise. Funding can be a commodity; what really drives value is deep context and domain expertise. Our North Star at Red Dragonfly is bringing a constant and objective source of value-addition to our entrepreneurs. Our experience comes from doing the work in the roles of many of our portco executives. We would never ask any of our partners to do something we wouldn’t do ourselves.
2. You have a sectoral approach. What sectors and what are you looking for in investment targets?
We are excited, animated even, by four sectors at this point-
· Sports and Entertainment
· FinTech
· AI and Vertical ML
· Blockchain
3. Team RDF has a great deal of experience in many sectors. All of you have amazing backgrounds. How is RDF more than just the sum of the founders?
Our team members (present and future) have built our own business in some form. We’ve succeeded, failed, and trifled, and those experiences are tools for our entrepreneurs to tap into. We understand that both we and our entrepreneurs are human beings.
As a team we are inherently collaborative. We bring no egos to the table, just friendship and a desire for success. Being generous of spirit makes our team larger than life.
4. What are you looking for in the entrepreneurs you support?
Disruption, Humility, Honesty, Leadership, Culture, and Realism. We want a combination of gut-feel and data-driven companies. We call it conviction with humility.
5. What are you most excited about, as we lean into 2025?
The incredible entrepreneurship in our ecosystem. We are so fortunate to have a view into emerging business on a global scale. Whether in the United States, Canada, Italy, Cyprus, Singapore, UK or India. We are excited about how we will each benefit on a global scale from the growth of entrepreneurship and the assumption of risk (and reward) that is part of the culture in so many geographies.