Michael Dearing is a former eBay and Disney executive who built Harrison Metal as both a seed fund and a small school for people starting companies, personally teaching classes at Stanford and through his firm. He's known for his craft-driven approach to company-building, arguing that early-stage startups should be run like creative studios rather than scaled-up factories, and brings an operator's discipline to venture capital with a strong focus on basic management hygiene like 1:1s and clear responsibilities. Michael Dearing is a former eBay and Disney executive who built Harrison Metal as both a seed fund and a small school for people starting companies, personally teaching classes at Stanford and through his firm. He's known for his craft-driven approach to company-building, arguing that early-stage startups should be run like creative studios rather than scaled-up factories, and brings an operator's discipline to venture capital with a strong focus on basic management hygiene like 1:1s and clear responsibilities.