Javier Rivera Hernández is a venture technology specialist at GCO Ventures, where he tracks technological developments and designs systems to turn them into practical solutions. His background in mathematics, programming and artificial intelligence gives him a distinctly technical perspective within the GCO Ventures team. Yet he argues that a startup’s success depends more on team dynamics than on the idea or the technology itself. The same logic shapes his view of the artificial intelligence market, where he expects the sector to consolidate around the largest players.

If you had to explain what you do at GCO Ventures without using your job title, what would you say?

I try to stay on top of technological advances and understand how they can be applied in useful, realistic ways. From there, I design systems and solutions that integrate those technologies to solve specific problems and create new opportunities.

What preconception did you have about the startup ecosystem before joining, and what made you change your mind?

At first, I thought the idea or the technology was what mattered most when building a startup. But I quickly realised that much of a startup’s success comes from the dynamics within the team, how well its members complement one another and their ability to execute together.

What kind of person – founder, builder or teammate – makes you think, ‘I’d happily take a risk with this person’?

People who keep pushing forward, pursue their goals with unwavering conviction and don’t freeze in the face of uncertainty. Especially those who hold on to that determination even when things get difficult.

What skill of yours would never make it onto LinkedIn, but is essential in your day-to-day work?

Maybe I’ll add it one day, but the resilience I’ve developed through training in jiu-jitsu is very useful in my work. It helps me stay calm, put problems into perspective and tackle them with more patience and clarity.

What professional mistake has taught you the most – and, despite everything, is one you would make again?

There have been times when I haven’t taken enough risks, even when my intuition was telling me I should. That experience taught me that avoiding risk also comes at a cost and that, sometimes, you need to trust your own judgement more.

What question do you wish more teams asked themselves before scaling or raising a round?

What real differentiation do we offer, and what barriers do we have to protect it? Creating something valuable isn’t enough: you also need to ask what prevents a large player from replicating it quickly and capturing the market.

Which trend do you think is overhyped right now, and which is underrated?

I think there will eventually be a correction in AI and deep tech, because not every market can sustain multiple winners and the biggest players are likely to capture a significant share of the value. By contrast, sectors such as energy and agriculture remain underrated despite their huge potential for transformation.

When a project doesn’t work – whether a startup, product or initiative – what usually matters most: the context, the idea, the team or ego?

The team, without a doubt. A good idea can evolve and circumstances can change, but if the team isn’t aligned, its members don’t complement one another or they can’t execute together, it’s very difficult for the project to move forward.

What do you do outside work that, perhaps without realising it, makes you better at your job?

Exercise has a much bigger impact on my performance at work than you might think, both in terms of concentration and managing stress. Reading also helps, as does observing what is happening around me and regularly questioning how and why things work.

If someone reads this interview five years from now, what would you like them to think about your time at GCO Ventures?

That it was a period that allowed me to build a strong foundation and gain a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It also helped me better understand how projects are created, developed and scaled from both a technology and business perspective.

Javier Rivera Hernández, venture technology specialist at GCO Ventures, combines a technical background with a critical view of what really underpins a startup. His conclusion is clear: technology is not enough without a team that can execute and defend it against competitors with greater resources. The same rigour shapes his outlook on artificial intelligence, where he expects the market to consolidate. Only players able to build and sustain a genuine competitive barrier will survive. It is a perspective that puts the team ahead of technological enthusiasm – an unusual stance for someone with such a strong technical background.

Want to keep getting to know the GCO Ventures team? Head back to the blog to read more from the Inside GCO series.