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
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Your own time and energy is the most precious resource you have. Use it wisely, and learn what gives you energy, and what saps you. In the early years of building something, you need to throw a huge amount of time at it - and do many things you perhaps don’t like doing. But as you scale, it’s vital to take a step back and build a business that can grow rapidly beyond the time you put into it.
What shift in perspective has allowed you to see things differently?
It may sound simple, but realizing and truly understanding that we are all different and driven by different things has made a significant impact on me. This insight has changed the way I approach relationships and leadership.
What’s a guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
One of our core values at Cozero is radical candor. It is the idea that the willingness to repeatedly enter uncomfortable situations to speak the truth benefits everyone in the long run. We believe that in order to grow and improve as an organization, we need to create an environment where our team is not afraid to challenge processes and decisions. Making this a core value guides us in difficult situations when it’s not clear which road to take.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
I'm happy I chose a highly regulated market, even though it was tough. It taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail, and the importance of doing things right. These lessons have made me better at what I do.