Craig Blair brings a rare combination of founder-operator experience (having built and sold multiple tech companies including Travelselect to lastminute.com) and deep engineering background from major infrastructure projects like Sydney's Anzac Bridge, giving him a builder's mindset rather than a purely financial approach to investing. He's built his career as an international market launcher for tech companies and maintains a deliberately contrarian investing philosophy, actively avoiding herd mentality while keeping AirTree's funds regionally focused on Australia and New Zealand because he believes venture alpha comes from local network depth rather than scale for its own sake.

• Championing the Australian and New Zealand startup ecosystem and its ability to compete on a global stage. He frequently highlights local success stories that have expanded internationally, such as celebrating when Queensland-based Go1 acquired a German startup or noting Employment Hero receiving recognition from the British Prime Minister.
• A strong interest in Web3, cryptocurrency, and decentralized finance. He has publicized a dedicated fund for this sector and expressed excitement about backing specific projects like ReputationDAO and a crypto tax solution created by a former intern.
• Appreciation for mission-driven founders and companies solving complex or social problems. He speaks highly of businesses that combine capitalism with doing good, such as Who Gives A Crap for its impact model and Canva for its philanthropic pledges.
• Focus on capital efficiency and financial discipline. He has noted that while market conditions for tech stocks can get rocky, he believes local founders are resilient and well-equipped to weather storms because they are skilled at managing their resources.
• Engagement with literature and fiction. He posts personal reviews of books he has finished, offering critiques on character depth in Jonathan Franzen novels or the stylistic pacing of Amanda Lohrey, which provides a non-business angle for connection.
• Value placed on long-term relationships and the journey from early stages to exit. He often reflects on partnering with founders when they were in tiny offices or pre-revenue, citing his long history with companies like PetCircle and A Cloud Guru as evidence of his commitment to supporting teams over many years.