I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my life. I studied electrical engineering in Philadelphia, the home of the first electrical engineer, Benjamin Franklin. As a boy I was steeped in all things Ben. Between my parents’ trips to the Franklin Institute, scout and school field trips through the city and my own curiosity, I became a lifelong fan of the first Philadelphian. He was also a great entrepreneur and gadget geek. He was a key inspiration for me.
I admired all of the Founders but in my college years became aware of Thomas Paine and the Entrepreneur’s Credo:
I do not choose to be a common man,
It is my right to be uncommon … if I can,
I seek opportunity … not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen.
Humbled and dulled by having the
State look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
To dream and to build.
To fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life
To the guaranteed existence;
The thrill of fulfillment
To the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
Nor my dignity for a handout
I will never cower before any master
Nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect.
Proud and unafraid;
To think and act for myself,
To enjoy the benefit of my creations
And to face the world boldly and say:
This, with God’s help, I have done
All this is what it means
To be an Entrepreneur.”
― Thomas Paine, Common Sense
I’ve built several companies, created a cool life for myself and have experienced an amazing series of successes and failures:
Sold a company for $400M
Personally lost $100M
Started another company
Raised over $100M
Hired, fired, rehired, fired and rehired. Then started something new…again.
I’m starting this newsletter/blog/portal somewhere in the messy middle where Uncertainty is high and trust is low. My goal is to clarify my own thinking, share what I’ve learned and to build a community of like-minded individuals.
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