The IO Podcast: Investor + Operator

Ex Navy SEAL: When To Quit Vs Persevere In Business + How I Started A Successful Venture Firm!

October 14, 2025·42 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

A question every startup founder has is, "When do I know when to keep going or throw in the towel?"Today, Tyler and Sterling sit down with ex Navy Seal and Olympian, Larsen Jensen, to talk about just that.Larsen is the founder of Harpoon Ventures, an investment firm focused on building companies that assist the armed forces. He is also the founder and CEO of Vector, a tech company focused on building products to assist the armed forces.Larsen talks about how he got into the Olympics, became a Navy Seal, and then started Harpoon, even when everyone thought he was crazy for going into military investing! He shares his lessons on perseverance, and what it takes to succeed.If you're a founder, you won't want to miss this!Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro(00:08:53) Becoming an Olympian(00:11:29) Meeting the President(00:15:34) Becoming a Navy SEAL(00:19:00) Survival Rates in BUD/S Training(00:22:28) How to know when to Quit(00:25:40) Navigating Startup Challenges(00:30:03) Why Larsen Started Harpoon Ventures(00:34:56) Government Sales Cycle Mentorship Program(00:37:48) Andreessen Horowitz(00:40:41) What Drives Larsen?——Check out Harpoon Ventures: www.harpoon.vcThis episode was brought to you by Pelion. Check them out here: pelionvp.com

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