---
id: brief-jon-xu
title: "Networking Brief — Jon Xu (YC GP, Judge)"
type: brief
status: final
owner: ivan
created: 2026-02-21
updated: 2026-02-21
tags: [hackathon, networking, yc]
---
# Jon Xu — Networking Brief
**Role:** General Partner, Y Combinator (Judge at MCP Apps Hackathon)
**Twitter:** [@xuster](https://x.com/xuster) | **LinkedIn:** [xujon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xujon/) | **GitHub:** [xuster](https://github.com/xuster)
**Blog:** "Ignore the Confusion" | **Personal:** [jonxu.org](https://jonxu.org)
---
## Background
- **MIT** — Computer Science (EECS)
- **Microsoft** — Nearly a decade building mobile data sync protocols and Windows Mobile products (Seattle)
- **FutureAdvisor** (YC S10) — Co-founded with Bo Lu. One of the first robo-advisors. CTO.
- **BlackRock** — FutureAdvisor acquired 2015. Jon stayed as Managing Director, Digital Wealth Group, leading product and engineering until 2019
- **Canvas Ventures** — Entrepreneur in Residence
- **Wahed** — Board Director (Islamic digital wealth platform)
- **MIT Sandbox** — Funding Board Member (seed funding + mentorship for student ventures)
- **Y Combinator** — Visiting Partner → General Partner (promoted alongside Andrew Miklas). 500+ office hours. Advises: Proof Trading, Soraban, GovDash, Hadrius, Nectar, Powder, Spur, Parahelp, Pulse, Kastle, Oway, Arva AI, Crustdata, Ember
## Key Thesis & Beliefs
- **"Defensibility can't be retrofitted"** — Your moat must be architected into the business model from the start. Too many startups pitch like wheat farmers.
- **Deep tech ≠ software** — Deep tech founders must commit to defensibility strategies from day one
- **VC partner selection matters** — "At seed and A, pick your VC partner based on who can increase your odds of success the most"
- **High-trust products** — Expertise in building consumer products in regulated industries (fintech)
- **"Formidable versions of themselves"** — Believes YC is about founders becoming their best
## What Resonates With Him
1. **Technical depth** — He's a CTO who became a GP. Show you can build, not just pitch.
2. **Moat / defensibility** — Lead with what makes us hard to replicate (28 production tools, 2 years of infrastructure, multi-tenant)
3. **Shipping velocity** — He values builders. Show we built this with 2 founders, zero employees.
4. **Regulated/high-trust domains** — His fintech background means he appreciates enterprise-grade reliability
5. **YC community** — He's deeply invested in the YC ecosystem. We applied to S26.
## Quick Opener
> "Jon, I'm Ivan from Markster — we applied to YC S26. We built 28 production MCP tools that turn Claude and ChatGPT into a full business operating system. Two founders, zero employees, 41 paying customers. Would love your take on what we're building."
## What NOT To Say
- Don't lead with the "AI workspace" narrative — he cares about the product, not the positioning
- Don't ask for YC advice — show, don't ask
- Don't oversell the hackathon build — be honest it's 2 years of infrastructure exposed via MCP
## Our Connection Points
- **FutureAdvisor was YC S10** — He knows what early-stage feels like
- **Financial modeling** — Our Puzzle integration shows real financial intelligence, not vanity metrics
- **Enterprise-ready** — Multi-tenant, production infrastructure — not a toy
---
_Priority: HIGH — Judge. Make a strong impression during demo._
