Outsider Inc.
Podcast Description
Outsider Inc. is dedicated to visionary leaders breaking the mold of tech entrepreneurship. Hosted by Ian Hathaway—co-author of The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and co-founder of seed-stage venture capital firm FOVC—each episode delivers exclusive interviews and insider insights from exceptional founders building generation-defining companies. Join us for an in-depth exploration into the real-life stories of entrepreneurs from unexpected places and backgrounds who overcame early setbacks, built resilient teams without following the traditional Silicon Valley playbook, and created thriving ecosystems in overlooked markets. Whether you’re a first-time founder, seasoned innovator, or investor, you’ll gain actionable strategies, unconventional wisdom, and practical takeaways to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey—no matter where you come from. Join our community today by subscribing on your favorite podcast app and dive even deeper on our newsletter at outsiderinc.substack.com.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers around themes of entrepreneurship, resilience, and community impact, featuring guests from diverse backgrounds who have built successful companies outside traditional tech hubs. Episodes include discussions on building businesses amid economic challenges, fostering local talent, and creating supportive ecosystems, such as the inaugural episode with Scott Dorsey discussing the founding of ExactTarget and its implications for the Indianapolis tech landscape.
Outsider Inc. is dedicated to visionary leaders breaking the mold of tech entrepreneurship. Hosted by Ian Hathaway—co-author of The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and co-founder of seed-stage venture capital firm FOVC—each episode delivers exclusive interviews and insider insights from exceptional founders building generation-defining companies. Join us for an in-depth exploration into the real-life stories of entrepreneurs from unexpected places and backgrounds who overcame early setbacks, built resilient teams without following the traditional Silicon Valley playbook, and created thriving ecosystems in overlooked markets. Whether you’re a first-time founder, seasoned innovator, or investor, you’ll gain actionable strategies, unconventional wisdom, and practical takeaways to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey—no matter where you come from. Join our community today by subscribing on your favorite podcast app and dive even deeper on our newsletter at outsiderinc.substack.com.
Host Ian Hathaway interviews Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, about building public safety technology with a mission to eliminate crime. Langley traces his Atlanta upbringing, his early computer repair business, lessons from his father’s relationship-driven sales approach, and his early career successes, including the acquisitions of Firethorn and Experience. After a post-exit identity crisis, he prioritized building with the right team and launched Flock after neighborhood break-ins revealed law enforcement needed actionable license plate data. He describes early traction, Y Combinator struggles, near-pivot moments, media-driven go-to-market, and a difficult fundraise amid skepticism about Atlanta, hardware, and law enforcement. They cover rapid scaling, new products, privacy and regulation debates, immigration-enforcement concerns, Atlanta ecosystem advantages, the Thriving Cities Fund, explicit culture-building, and the personal support system sustaining his leadership.
Show Notes:
(02:28) Burden of Responsibility
(06:47) Atlanta Roots and Early Hustle
(12:19) Two Big Exits and Crisis
(15:35) Flock Origin Story
(20:59) YC Breakthrough and Media
(23:19) Series B Near Miss
(26:23) Scaling Innovation and Vision
(29:45) Fatherhood and What Matters
(30:36) Safety As A Right
(31:31) Scrutiny And Tradeoffs
(38:13 Building In Atlanta
(40:18) Diamonds In The Rough
(42:13) Thriving Cities Fund
(44:50) Writing Culture Down
(51:12) Legacy And Safe Cities
(53:22) Beyond The Bio with Garrett Langley
✅ Host: Ian Hathway – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FOVC
✅ Guests: Garrett Langley – Founder & CEO, Flock
Produced by Spellbinder Media. Executive Produced by Bridge Five Ventures. Copyright ©️2026, Bridge Five Ventures, LLC, All rights reserved.
Listen & subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or at outsiderinc.substack.com.
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