What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
My aunt and my mother are both small business owners, so I think I was pretty inspired by them as role models. Also, I’ve been surfing since I was a teenager and I remember being puzzled when every adult would paddle in right as the waves were getting good late in the morning. When it finally dawned on me that they were paddling in because they had jobs, I became extremely motivated to never have a job.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
There is enormous variety in the personalities of very successful people. You should always be paying close attention to the things that work well for you and trust that it’ll work out in the end. This would have saved me countless dead-end attempts to emulate role models who are just very different from me.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
I have very little balance in my life and am mostly consumed by my work. It took me a long time to not feel guilty or “wrong” for living like this. Pouring my all into a project is much more exhilarating for me than trying to find fulfillment from a more relaxed work situation and a variety of hobbies.
What’s an important belief that informs the way you build and run your business?
I think a lot about finding harmony in my work. How do you choose projects that harmonize with each other? When you have very little resources, you need to find a way to make your efforts in one area (say, product) spill into another (say, growth). Some might call this resourcefulness, but I like to think of it as the pursuit of harmony.
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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My co-founders are my anchor in work-related topics. Having an environment where failure is welcomed with a helping hand and where weakness is valued as openness, once you are down those people will drag you up.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
When I was 16 (way before the internet) I founded a travel-partner agency to connect people from different backgrounds seeking travel companions. After a year, I had to close the agency due to a lack of customers and the confusion some callers had regarding the nature of the “service.” Despite this setback, I gained invaluable insights into sales, communication and people’s needs, solidifying my desire to run a business that helps people.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
After graduating, I worked for an extremely well-paying automotive company. But I always had the feeling that there was more out there. So I quit and went into research with the aim of becoming a founder.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
There are no overnight miracles, it's very hard work: both physically and emotionally. Requires resilience, grit, strategic approach and grind.