Hi friends, my name is Jonathan. I’m thrilled that Jeff, Rich and the rest of the StartupNation crew have asked me to share my thoughts with the community. Jeff and Rich have at times been big brothers, mentors, financiers, and fellow sushi connoisseurs to me, and hopefully I can pass on some of the wisdom that they gave me the opportunity to discover.
Back in 2000, my friend Todd and I started a company called Aereous, that would eventually be renamed as Indigo Security, and was acquired earlier this year by a company called Tablus. Indigo built software that prevented employees from stealing sensitive corporate data, and over the course of its life we raised $3MM dollars, hired over 25 employees, contractors and advisors, and had one heck of a wild ride.
The thing is, we dropped out of college here at University of Michigan to do this. The other thing is, it wasn’t the first time we’d dropped out to start a company! Todd is still with Tablus out in San Mateo, and I’m back at school, taking history classes and loving every minute of it. Well, maybe not the exams…
But interesting as my classes are, I just can’t stay away from entrepreneurship. I actually parted ways with Indigo last summer, and have since done consulting for a few startups, and am also starting a new company with my friend Wayne. We’re called Charisma Sciences, and we provide social and date coaching for guys around the world. What a 180 from Indigo Security!
You know what though? I love it all the same, and that is a theme that will probably be consistent as this weblog progresses. My professional life has been a colorful journey across the world where I’ve met some amazing people and had some amazing experiences. That leads to my parting thought for today.
There’s no doubt that entrepreneurship is all about planning and hard work. But it’s also a way to live your life. When an opportunity presents itself, you take it. When faced with the familiar, you find a way out. I’ve never said “no” to the chance to meet someone new or try something I’ve never done before, and my reward has been the fascinating journey.
So the question is – have the best things in your life been planned or unplanned?
