Fred Oliveira

Fred (@f): First TechCrunch Employee & Lisbon AI

Fred explains how knowing the original Twitter team let him register the @f handle, why he never sold it despite offers, and how Musk has anchored its value. He recounts becoming TechCrunch's first employee in 2005 — chasing founders in Menlo Park and Atherton garages when one post could trigger an acquisition — before returning to Portugal and spending ~12 years in VC. He details the Lisbon AI event he co-organised with builders from Cursor, ElevenLabs, Lovable and Letta, Lisbon's rise as a startup and digital-nomad hub, and closes with his view that new media now runs on vibes, taste and podcasts.

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