ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Host Ian Hathaway interviews Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, about building public safety technology with a mission to eliminate crime. Langley traces his Atlanta upbringing, his early computer repair business, lessons from his father's relationship-driven sales approach, and his early career successes, including the acquisitions of Firethorn and Experience. After a post-exit identity crisis, he prioritized building with the right team and launched Flock after neighborhood break-ins revealed law enforcement needed actionable license plate data. He describes early traction, Y Combinator struggles, near-pivot moments, media-driven go-to-market, and a difficult fundraise amid skepticism about Atlanta, hardware, and law enforcement. They cover rapid scaling, new products, privacy and regulation debates, immigration-enforcement concerns, Atlanta ecosystem advantages, the Thriving Cities Fund, explicit culture-building, and the personal support system sustaining his leadership.
Show Notes:
(02:28) Burden of Responsibility
(06:47) Atlanta Roots and Early Hustle
(12:19) Two Big Exits and Crisis
(15:35) Flock Origin Story
(20:59) YC Breakthrough and Media
(23:19) Series B Near Miss
(26:23) Scaling Innovation and Vision
(29:45) Fatherhood and What Matters
(30:36) Safety As A Right
(31:31) Scrutiny And Tradeoffs
(38:13 Building In Atlanta
(40:18) Diamonds In The Rough
(42:13) Thriving Cities Fund
(44:50) Writing Culture Down
(51:12) Legacy And Safe Cities
(53:22) Beyond The Bio with Garrett Langley
✅ Host: Ian Hathway - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FOVC
✅ Guests: Garrett Langley - Founder & CEO, Flock
Produced by Spellbinder Media. Executive Produced by Bridge Five Ventures. Copyright ©️2026, Bridge Five Ventures, LLC, All rights reserved.
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