Podcast with Paige Craig of Outlander VC: People Over Plans

Neal sits down with Paige Craig, Founder and Managing Partner at Outlander VC, the first-check fund that backs founders as early as humanly possible. Paige shares how growing up homeless, bootstrapping a defense tech company during the Iraq War, and years of studying what makes founders tick led him to build a 38-point framework for picking people - not plans. They cover physical AI, manufacturing, defense tech, and why first-time founders still get his first call. And yes, there are duck carnitas involved.Key Topics* Outlander’s first-check model: investing before product or metrics exist* The 38-point founder framework: vision, intelligence, character, execution* Why first-time founders often outperform repeat founders on a risk-adjusted basis* Bootstrapping a defense tech company in 2003 - driving into Iraq to win contracts* Physical AI as a 20-year defining theme* Manufacturing and industrial automation as the next frontier* The coming dislocation of creative talent from AI* Defense tech investment beyond the hype cycleLinks & Resources* Outlander * Scale AI* Brad FeldConnect on LinkedIn* Paige Craig This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe