Ashu Desai

I started building products in high school, initially an iPhone app that sold 50k copies. In college I built bluetooth accessories for the iPhone. I dropped out of college to found Make School and build the college experience I wished existed.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desaiashu
Twitter: https://twitter.com/desaiashu
Member since May 06, 2015

About

I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

Companies I've founded or co-founded:

Make School

If you're an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?

I want to invent something cool.

My favorite startups:

Airbnb, Warby Parker, Tilt, Slack, Lyft, Snapchat

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

The most rewarding thing about entrepreneurship is being able to choose the people you work with. I'm a strong believe in the adage "you are the average of your five best friends" so it's incredibly rewarding for me to be able to spend every day with people who inspire and teach me.

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?

Not asking for help. Entrepreneurs often fall into the me against the world mentality and worry sharing their problems will show weakness. People are incredibly social learners, the best way to find solutions to your problems is asking others and collecting unique perspectives.

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

1. Do things that don't scale. You need to be willing to try any and all potential solutions to problems you're facing. Be sure not to dismiss ideas because of your own psychological blockades.

2. Stay frugal. Building a culture of frugality into your company can be the difference between running out of money or staying afloat until your next fundraising round or next deal close. It's easy to lose track of spending if you're not careful.

3. Stay focused. The best startups are laser focused on a single product and single growth metric. While new ideas, products and opportunities look appealing, the cost of splitting focus often kills startups.