Ethan Austin / Outside VC

Ethan Austin is the Founder of Outside VC, an early stage fund backing outsiders, the founders most VCs overlook.

Ethan’s background is as a founder. In 2008, after losing his father to cancer, he co-founded GiveForward, the first medical crowdfunding platform, long before GoFundMe became a household name. Over several years, GiveForward helped families raise over $200 million, directly saving over 10,000 lives. “At our peak we had 10% of the US population visiting our site every year.”

Our conversation gets into his platform philosophy and why brand matters more than network. “Most firms source through their network, good ones through thesis, but great ones? Through brand.” He’s built Outside VC to be discoverable by founders no one else is chasing. Genuine, humorous tone on social media creating lasting relationships.

When GiveForward exited to GoFundMe in 2017, Ethan launched Techstars LA with Anna Barber. For four years, he coached founders and sat through thousands of pitches. What stuck with him wasn’t the decks. It was the founders with unmistakable fire who came from the outside and simply couldn’t not build.

We also talk about lived empathy and what it means to back builders. Ethan’s taken the late night customer calls, felt the emotional weight of mission-driven work. Outside VC backs immigrants, first-gens, people who’ve had to scrap their way in. What they share isn’t pedigree. It’s conviction.

Full episode below, or on Spotify / Apple Podcasts