Originally, I started this website to help share lessons I learned while co-founding and running StackAdapt, a venture-backed technology company (currently 1,000+ people strong). Since the site's inception, my interests expanded to write not only about business. I welcome you to read and watch what I have created. Know that I am on a perpetual journey of learning and self-betterment; some opinions are bound to become outdated.
Disclaimer: the views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of StackAdapt.
My values:
Strive to change the world.
Be the best version of yourself and positively impact others.
Business
Building a business is hard. I know this because I co-founded StackAdapt, a venture-backed technology company, and i made many good and bad decisions in the process. Here I will share my and experts' insights on culture, product, sales & marketing, and startup mindset.
A few weeks ago, after almost a decade of pitching, the tables turned, and I was on the other side of a pitch competition – judging the founders sharing their ideas. Eight companies gave presentations, and I’ve decided to provide unified feedback to all of them in the form of this article.
PMF is not guaranteed. Many companies (or shall I say, most startup companies) never find it.
My friend called to share with me the exciting news that he is starting a software company, and he asked if I had any advice for him. I was delighted because I love talking about business!
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading career advice, the topic of building a personal brand has surely come up.
One of the more rewarding aspects of my job is moderating the bi-weekly “Ask Me Anything” sessions with new StackAdapters. And one of the questions that comes up frequently in those sessions is whether I expected the company to get this big when we first started. I admit I didn’t.
Everything Else
I am interested in many subjects. I can't physically write about them all, but I will chip away at some topics that I am in the mood to talk about now.
This is the 7th year I’ve written on my birthday. Every year the format of my birthday article changes, and this year is no exception. In the past, I've focused on lessons learned, but this year I will just share things that are on my mind.
Christie Lake Kids’ mission is to enrich the lives and prospects of economically disadvantaged children by providing quality year-round community and camp programs to develop physical, social and character skills. CLK believes that all children should have the chance to experience the beauty of the natural world – to swim in a lake, paddle a canoe, sit by a campfire.
This year I was blessed with the birth of my son. Though I anticipated that becoming a father would be life-changing, I could never have predicted all the profound ways in which this tiny human would change me. So this year’s article is a Thank You to him for unknowingly teaching me many valuable lessons that I am grateful for and excited to share with you.
A while back, I listened to a podcast -- Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions. Episode four is a conversation about climate change, and importantly, whether it is too late to stop it. I thought it was a solid climate change 101 type of episode, but I believe it missed an important point.
You are born during interesting times. In some ways, life on Earth has never been better – we are at the peak of innovation in science and technology, we have instant connectivity across the globe, literacy is on all time high and poverty is at an all time low. But, we still have many problems, and our future has never been more uncertain. You will likely live through many challenging times, and I hope you can contribute to some solutions.
Years ago my two co-workers at StackAdapt did half-Ironman, which greatly inspired me. This year, I finally achieved a milestone of my own by completing my first Olympic Triathlon. During my preparation, I went online seeking advice for enhancing running speed and endurance, I stumbled upon a video featuring a runner.