Vator’s community is the home to entrepreneurs who embrace their passion and follow their dreams.

Our newly-designed profiles allow members to express themselves by sharing their interests, lessons learned, as well as bits and pieces of their roller-coaster journey.

These profiles give entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase themselves and tell their story.

So if you are an entrepreneur, a serial entrepreneur, or even an aspiring entrepreneur, we'd like to hear from you.

Today's Entrepreneur is Payam Zamani,  Founder, Chairman and CEO of Reply, which matches consumers with local ads. Reply just purchased MerchantCircle for $60 million, in a bid to build a local-marketing powerhouse.  

Payam is a through leder and is good at marketing management and fund raising.

I am: An Entrepreneur

Name companies you've founded or co-founded:
Autoweb.com, PurpleTie, Reply.com

Name companies you've invested in:
CrowdMob, Facebook, Caspio, LesConcierges, Chat Sports, Verticalbrands, TheRealReal

Name startups you worked for:
Autoweb.com, PurpleTie, Reply.com

If you are an entrepreneur, why?
Change an industry

List your favorite startups:
No singling out...time will tell which ones will endure and prosper

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?
It takes time to build a real business that will endure...entrepreneurs are rarely patient and I'm no exception.
For me the most rewarding aspect of entrepreneurship has always been the opportunity to build a great team ...it really is an art that no one will ever perfect.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs make?
They take themselves and their idea too seriously. The chances are the entrepreneur doesn't know enough and needs help honing the idea as well as his/her skills.

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?
1) Focus on cash-flow and never assume additional capital will be available in the future
2) Hire the best and the brightest people you can even if they cost more or maybe more challenging to manage
3) Don't get attached to under performers...you, your investors and your team deserve only the best