AI, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Fintech

Interview with Brian Neirby, CEO and Founder of Red Dragonfly VC

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.

, , , ,
August 13, 2024by Paul Dunay
Written by Paul Dunay
Paul Dunay is an award-winning B2B marketing expert with more than 20 years’ success in generating demand and creating awareness for leading technology, consumer products, financial services and professional services organizations. Paul is the global vice president of marketing for Maxymiser a leading web optimization firm, and author of four “Dummies” books: Facebook Marketing for Dummies (Wiley 2009), Social Media and the Contact Center for Dummies (Wiley Custom Publishing 2010), Facebook Advertising for Dummies (Wiley 2010) and Facebook Marketing for Dummies 2nd Edition (Wiley 2011). His unique approach to marketing has led to recognition of Paul as a BtoB Magazine Top 25 B2B Marketer of the Year for 2010 and 2009 and winner of the DemandGen Award for Utilizing Marketing Automation to Fuel Corporate Growth in 2008. He is also a finalist for the last six years in a row in the Marketing Excellence Awards competition of the Information Technology Services Marketing Association (ITSMA), and is a 2010 and 2005 gold award winner in Driving Demand. Buzz Marketing for Technology, Paul’s blog, has been recognized as a Top 20 Marketing Blog for 2009 and 2008, a Top Blog to Watch for 2009 and 2008, and an Advertising Age Power 150 blog in the “Daily Ranking of Marketing Blogs.” Paul has shared his marketing thought leadership as a featured speaker for the American Marketing Association, BtoB Magazine, CMO Club, MarketingProfs, Marketing Sherpa, Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), and ITSMA. He has appeared on Fox News, and his articles have been featured in BusinessWeek, The New York Times, BtoB Magazine, MarketingProfs and MarketingSherpa. Paul holds an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Computer Science from Ithaca College.