Tim Chae

Founder, CEO @edaphic_xyz. 13 year career in VC (@500GlobalVC), now looking to enable a new kind of founders (solo-operators).
#ThriveNotSurvive #1T412

[Tim Chae @tchae]

Hi everyone! After *13* life-changing years, I’ve left my full-time role at @500GlobalVC to pursue what I'll be doing for the rest of my life (more on that below).

500 first backed me at 19. As a college dropout, 500 was my education. When that startup failed, largely due to my own arrogance and naivete, I was given the opportunity to join as an EIR on a six-month contract. At minimum, I figured I owed them some work after losing their investment. lol

Then came the chance to return to Korea, where I was born but hadn’t been back since I was 14. That led to 500 Korea in 2015. Signing the partnership docs, I remember shaking hands with @davemcclure and agreeing to stay for “at least two or three years.” Later, @christine_tsai gave me the opportunity to come back to SF, where I spent my last six years as Managing Partner. Those 6 months became 13 years quite fast...

I spent my twenties and then some growing up inside 500. 1M+ miles flown all over the world, friends all over the world, and lifetime airline and hotel statuses I’ll keep collecting on. I got married. Became a dad. Learned and got to form unique perspectives from those experiences. Because of 500.

500 believed entrepreneurship would reach far more people, far beyond Silicon Valley, long before it was obvious. I got to see that happen firsthand.

To my teammates, our LPs, and the founders who trusted me: thank you for the friendships, opportunities, and responsibilities I had to grow into. I’m proud of what we built and excited for what you’ll continue to do.

As for my next chapter...

I always knew I wanted to build again. But leaving a mission I loved and the security of this role, with a baby on the way, wasn’t something I could take lightly. I needed to know this was what I’d be spending the next 30 years doing.

I believe AI will enable a new generation of founders, just as other platform-shifting technologies have over the last two decades. And this time, growing their business won’t have to mean growing a large team.

We’re building @edaphic_xyz to become the enabler and catalyzer for that new generation of founders.

I’m doing this with my co-founders Donny, a former portfolio founder and CEO, and Daniel, my younger brother. I’ve worked with both for years. We share the same vision and the same long-term commitment. I couldn’t ask for two better people to build this with.

We’re fully in person, in downtown Austin(!), and hiring engineers. Reach out or make an introduction. And to friends I haven’t caught up with in far too long, I’d love to reconnect.

(We wrote about what we believe and why we’re building Edaphic on https://t.co/7D2fqK7p7L, and I shared my personal notes on https://t.co/eRu20St6TN.)

There are so many people I want to thank and shoutout. I'll reach out to all of you individually. Thank you.

The 30 Year Sprint of my Lifelong Project starts now.

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@MatthewBerman it's cause political messages don't have to play by the spam rules set by the FCC

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@MatthewBerman @Matt_Schulman1 actblue has absolutely made me stay away from political donations ever again after getting infinite spams nationwide every 2 years and can't seem to get off of the list. at this point, feels like a net negative in terms of how i feel about candidates

[Tim Chae @tchae]

is this the single best tech demo in history? wtf did I just witness... 🤯

[Tesla @Tesla]

Roadster https://t.co/G0jU4mWfid

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@christine_tsai @500GlobalVC ❤️❤️

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@albertlee @500GlobalVC will DM you!

[Tim Chae @tchae]

Hi everyone! After *13* life-changing years, I’ve left my full-time role at @500GlobalVC to pursue what I'll be doing for the rest of my life (more on that below).

500 first backed me at 19. As a college dropout, 500 was my education. When that startup failed, largely due to my own arrogance and naivete, I was given the opportunity to join as an EIR on a six-month contract. At minimum, I figured I owed them some work after losing their investment. lol

Then came the chance to return to Korea, where I was born but hadn’t been back since I was 14. That led to 500 Korea in 2015. Signing the partnership docs, I remember shaking hands with @davemcclure and agreeing to stay for “at least two or three years.” Later, @christine_tsai gave me the opportunity to come back to SF, where I spent my last six years as Managing Partner. Those 6 months became 13 years quite fast...

I spent my twenties and then some growing up inside 500. 1M+ miles flown all over the world, friends all over the world, and lifetime airline and hotel statuses I’ll keep collecting on. I got married. Became a dad. Learned and got to form unique perspectives from those experiences. Because of 500.

500 believed entrepreneurship would reach far more people, far beyond Silicon Valley, long before it was obvious. I got to see that happen firsthand.

To my teammates, our LPs, and the founders who trusted me: thank you for the friendships, opportunities, and responsibilities I had to grow into. I’m proud of what we built and excited for what you’ll continue to do.

As for my next chapter...

I always knew I wanted to build again. But leaving a mission I loved and the security of this role, with a baby on the way, wasn’t something I could take lightly. I needed to know this was what I’d be spending the next 30 years doing.

I believe AI will enable a new generation of founders, just as other platform-shifting technologies have over the last two decades. And this time, growing their business won’t have to mean growing a large team.

We’re building @edaphic_xyz to become the enabler and catalyzer for that new generation of founders.

I’m doing this with my co-founders Donny, a former portfolio founder and CEO, and Daniel, my younger brother. I’ve worked with both for years. We share the same vision and the same long-term commitment. I couldn’t ask for two better people to build this with.

We’re fully in person, in downtown Austin(!), and hiring engineers. Reach out or make an introduction. And to friends I haven’t caught up with in far too long, I’d love to reconnect.

(We wrote about what we believe and why we’re building Edaphic on https://t.co/7D2fqK7p7L, and I shared my personal notes on https://t.co/eRu20St6TN.)

There are so many people I want to thank and shoutout. I'll reach out to all of you individually. Thank you.

The 30 Year Sprint of my Lifelong Project starts now.

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@TonyW @500GlobalVC ❤️❤️

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@james_riney @500GlobalVC thanks man keep building your empire!

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@JerLevine @500GlobalVC 😍 chat soon boss

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@HuHoamai @500GlobalVC thank you!

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@taloraxyz @500GlobalVC thank you

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@ArgusPlatformAI @500GlobalVC hopefully get to the ground truth of what they want to solve and why they believe it's a solution

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@ruima @500GlobalVC Rui! let's catch up. been meaning to chat with you

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@AlexShin @500GlobalVC thx man!!

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@maneesh1 @500GlobalVC prolly you sometime 15 years ago, "what you celebrating for?". but I'll take the LFG :)

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@rleshner @500GlobalVC dude how the hell are ya? been so good seeing everything you've done over the last decade. so happy for you.

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@ckchangkim love the name. my daughter's name. picked for the same reasons I'd assume made you pick it :)

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@ckchangkim you made your mark and legacy. great chapter. can't control what you can't control.

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@MatthewBerman @pitdesi FSD just makes cars into utility appliances as it should me. first time being inside FSD on HW4 v14 (early this year) really opened my eyes to all of the new possibilities (my willingness to commute for example).

[Tim Chae @tchae]

@MatthewBerman @pitdesi did you get the YL for the fam? if so, how's the size? I got mine delivered, but haven't driven it yet as I'm out of the country