Skip to main content

Aug 31, 2022

Abnormal Engineering Stories, Episode #11: Examining the UK Startup Ecosystem, Part 2

In episode 11 of Abnormal Engineering Stories, David Hagar, Director of Engineering and Abnormal Head of UK Engineering, continues his conversation with Zehan Wang, co-founder of Magic Pony.

Key Insights

Magic Pony co-founder Zehan Wang transitioned from CTO to UK-based angel investor after Twitter acquired his ML startup within two years.

Key startup evaluation factors include people management, equity structure, and intelligent investment selection.

The episode covers how job seekers and investors should each approach startup selection differently.

Zehan Wang has had an impressive career. Now a UK-based angel investor, Zehan was previously co-founder and CTO of Magic Pony, a machine learning startup acquired by Twitter within just two years of founding.

Recently, David Hagar, Director of Engineering and Abnormal Head of UK Engineering, sat down with Zehan to chat about his remarkable journey as an engineering leader. In part one of the episode, David and Zehan explored how Zehan started his career in tech, his entrepreneurship, the founding of Magic Pony, and how Twitter came to acquire the company.

In part two, David and Zehan delve into Zehan’s experience as an angel investor in the UK. They discuss:

  • How to intelligently select investments

  • The importance of people management

  • Choosing a startup as a job seeker and as an investor

  • Establishing equity at a startup

We hope you enjoy it! Don’t forget to subscribe to Abnormal Engineering Stories on Apple, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

Protect Against Evolving Email Threats

See how behavioral AI detects attacks that legacy defenses miss.

Request a Demo