Michael Loeb built his career around being fired from Time Inc. at 36, then turning that rejection into Synapse Group, which he sold back to Time for hundreds of millions, and now actively seeks founders who have been punched in the face and bounced back. Rather than operating as a traditional VC, he runs Loeb.nyc as a company factory that conceives ideas internally and co-builds businesses alongside founders using shared services, while also co-founding Lockstep Ventures to back primarily Black founders with his venture-studio infrastructure. Michael Loeb built his career around being fired from Time Inc. at 36, then turning that rejection into Synapse Group, which he sold back to Time for hundreds of millions, and now actively seeks founders who have been punched in the face and bounced back. Rather than operating as a traditional VC, he runs Loeb.nyc as a company factory that conceives ideas internally and co-builds businesses alongside founders using shared services, while also co-founding Lockstep Ventures to back primarily Black founders with his venture-studio infrastructure.