John Ramey

Entrepreneur

Self actualization. Jump into the deep end and see if you drown.

Shout outs to some friends: WePay, HipChat, Carwoo, Opzi, Udemy

Frustrating: the "system" is designed to encourage doing what everyone else is doing ("it subsidizes mediocrity") yet the whole point is to do something fundamentally different. So even within this land of innovation, you're still fighting an uphill battle.

Rewarding: for certain people, its the best way to live a full meaningful life. I believe it's a pure form of expression and challenge.

Not accepting their death. You will fail, royally and repeatedly. Get used to it, acknowledge it, account for it, move on. Like a soldier who accepts he's going to die in battle - it often frees them to be a better solider (and thus more likely to live)

1. Be stubborn. Others will tell you no and you're wrong every day.

2. Have fun and only get involved with what you enjoy. Otherwise the roller coaster will kill you.

3. The people you bring in / depend on will make or break you. And most people are not up to par. Choose wisely.

Founder & CEO of www.isocket.com and www.buyads.com, a VC backed early stage startup in Burlingame, CA.

I'm a disruptor entrepreneur at heart - I like to "throw stones at thrones". Working on my third business, meeting great new people and trying to shake things up. I've got a lot of learning left but I am loving the ride!