My name is Besart, and I've spent most of my career building and growing consumer apps—like AnchorFree (acq. $300M+), Chestr (co-founded, backed by Neo), Coachify.AI ($1.5M ARR)— with a few stints in VC at places like Citi Ventures (intern), a16z (intern), and Antler (Visiting Principal). I am now co-founder and CEO of First Voyage.
I've taken multiple consumer apps from 0 to 1, and in 2025, I advised a few consumer startups backed by firms like General Catalyst and a16z. I share lessons from these experiences on The Zero State.
In my free time, I like to read a lot, philosophy, lift weights, and paint. In 2023, I had my first painting featured in a gallery; this year, I want to sell my first piece (foolish goal, you should never sell your art).
Features:
"New York’s top VCs under 30" - TechCrunch, December 2024
"The biggest trends young NYC investors are bullish about — and why" - TechCrunch, August 2024