Jason Cohen has founded four successful companies include Smart Bear Software and WPEngine (which this site is running on!). He took Smart Bear from start to multiple millions in profit, without debt or VC, then sold it for cash. Jason is also a partner at Capital Factory which helps incubate startups.
Key points:
Best strategy is to build a real and good company, true growth and profitability – self sustaining and gives you options. You can run as long as you want, hire more, outsource, take investment at better terms – you’re in the driving seat.
Like new challenges, startups are always new challenges.
Even starting the same company in a different period would throw up toally different challenges as technology and opportunities change.
Likes to work on one thing at a time, but isn’t always too good at this!
Likes working late, but knows this isn’t generally good as you end up working too late.
Getting Things Done helps meeting expectations and saying no to stuff.
With running a business you should be able to decide what you work on
- correct thing to do is stop writing code
- but what you wanna do is write the code!
- help developers by fixing bugs the devs don’t want to do! Keeps you in code.
When people all run one way and fund the same kinds of ideas, consider being like Warren Buffet and run the other way.
Plumbing of the internet, email, hosting – a lot of money to be made there.
Mobile, Social stuff – not too many people making real money.
Find what your thing is to set your self on a path to happiness. This also increases the chance of success.
Don’t read too many books/blogs on startups. A lot contradict themselves.
A lot of time spent reading means less time doing and learning for themselves.
Less reading, more doing.