How to Evaluate Potential Internet and Software Investors - Dan Street

In Chapter 11 of 20 of his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, software entrepreneur and Loku founder and CEO Dan Street shares how he evaluated potential investors. First, Street wanted investors passionate about his company mission. Second, he prioritized investors with consumer Internet and software businesses. Third, Street notes the investors had to come via trusted network connections. He shares how different type of investors asked different questions. From beginning of raise until end of raise, the process took six months, with two weeks to close on term sheet details. Street is the founder and CEO of Loku (previously named Borrowed Sugar) which develops Internet software to strengthen local communities. Previously, Street worked in private equity at Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) and management consulting at Bain & Co. He earned a BA in music and business from Rice University.

How to Turn Passion for Storytelling into a Career - Michael Margolis

In Chapter 2 of 13 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, storyteller and entrepreneur Michael Margolis shares how he recognized his passion for storyteling and turned it into a career. After early career social entrepreneur experience and overcoming illness, Margolis creates a career helping companies, clients, and students tell stories people can believe in. Margolis is the founder and president of Get Storied (http://www.getstoried.com), an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. As a consultant, educator and writer he uses storytelling to create more effective branding, innovation and culture change. Margolis earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

How Mom Helps Daughter Find Passion in Arts and Sciences - Gabrielle Lamourelle

In Chapter 3 of 21 in her 2010 interview with Erik Michielsen, global health consultant Gabrielle Lamourelle shares how her mother supported her immersion in the performing arts and sciences. Lamourelle's mother, a nurse and, later, an educator, prioritizes her children's science education. Later, after opening multiple pre-schools, she integrates dramatic play and musical productions into the classroom experience. This influences Lamourelle to become more immersed in education, science, and the performing arts. Lamourelle graduated with a BS in Sociology from University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Sociomedical Sciences from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

How Animal Lover Builds Biology Career Working in Africa - Alayne Cotterill

In Chapter 1 of 13 in her 2010 interview with Capture Your Flag Host Erik Michielsen, wildlife biologist Alayne Cotterill shares how her early love for animals informed her biology career development. As a university biology major, Cotterill focuses attention on ecology and the bigger picture and connected elements it covers. Over time, she moves to Africa to begin working with large animals, including lions, rhinos, and elephants, in their natural habitat. Learn more about Alayne's work at http://www.lionconservation.org.

Why Daydreaming is Important When Choosing a Career - Richard Moross

In Chapter 17 of 17 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, entrepreneur, innovator and Moo.com founder Richard Moross reflects on his many days staring out the window in class, daydreaming about things other than his college philosophy, art, and politics classes. Moross looks to finds comfort defining his own systems and agenda, which pushes him to be an entrepreneur and start a company. In effect, Moross creates his own path and career ladder. He cites Malcolm Gladwell's writing on "Meaningful Work" as a way to develop career options in line with career ambitions.  Moross is founder and CEO of Moo.com.  Before starting Moo.com, an award-winning online print business, Moross was a senior design strategist at Imagination, the world's largest independent design company.  He graduated from the University of Sussex, where he majored in philosophy and politics.

How Dartmouth Program Enables Creative Career in Business - Nina Godiwalla

In Chapter 9 of 14 of her 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, "Suits: A Woman on Wall Street" author Nina Godiwalla answers "Why did you decide to leave business temporarily to study liberal arts and pursue a master’s degree at Dartmouth?"  After spending two years working in investment banking, Godiwalla decides to attend a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) at Dartmouth University to explore her creative side. Godiwalla makes this decision after taking a Myers-Briggs personality test to identify undeveloped interests. There she learns about relationships, people and understanding before deciding to move on to her MBA at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: Why did you decide to leave business temporarily to study liberal arts and pursue a master’s degree at Dartmouth?

Nina Godiwalla: As an undergrad I studied finance, I went straight into investment banking, I worked in finance after that for a while and there was something about the business world that wasn’t completely fulfilling me and I couldn’t put my finger on it and, this is so hokey, but I actually, I did a personality test and I love the Myers-Briggs and I did a personality test and I was trying to figure out -- all my friends were going to business school a few years out of you work in -- you do investment banking especially and it’s like a two year program, it’s a feeder into business school.  And I was, you know I could’ve just filled out the application and I could’ve just gone but I felt like something was missing.

And so I was doing all these personality tests and trying to figure what is it that’s missing and oddly enough the personality tests were – I found what really resonated for me and a lot of the people their careers were completely different, they were psychologists, they were writers, they were -- there was something creative about what they were doing or it was something based off of people and a lot of the finance I was doing didn’t have that whole element of people and relationships and understanding and I knew that had to be integrated into my business world. I had a sense that I was going to business school afterwards but I wanted the option to say ‘Let me explore what I’m doing, let me explore this liberal arts that I looked into and if it ends up that I go to business school afterwards, great. If it ends up I have this completely different career and I find this dream, you know that’s great too.’

How Nature Loving Parents Inspire Daughter's Passion - Audrey Parker

In Chapter 1 of 15, energy efficiency consultant Audrey Parker learns to respect nature and the environment through her nature-loving parents. Both Parker's parents and grandparents prioritized nature experiences to solidify her love of the outdoors. Ultimately, this informs her career path in green business.

How Entrepreneur Approaches High Risk Decision Making - Dan Street

In Chapter 14 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, Rice University graduate and entrepreneur Dan Street shares his approach when taking risks not likely to work out. First, he sets aside his ego in the situation. Second, he focuses on the process rather than the outcome. As a college student, Street walks on the basketball team and, through the process, realizes he enjoys music and academics more. This approach, setting self aside and prioritizing the process, lead Street to start his company Loku.com (previously BorrowedSugar.com).

How Stanford Grad Learns Bootstrap Business Philosophy - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 8 of 15, leadership philosopher and bootstrap business expert Bijoy Goswami studies the history of Silicon Valley while attending Stanford University. He learns about venture capital and IPOs. He also learns about bootstrapping financing - people who started in garage without investor capital. Goswami graduates and joins a bootstrapped firm, Trilogy Software, an Austin-based enterprise software company. There he learns entrepreneurial skills, including sales and business development, useful in his later career pursuits.

How WPP Ad Agency Job Inspired Entrepreneurship Leap - Hattie Elliot

In Chapter 13 of 16, entrepreneur and The Grace List founder Hattie Elliot finds an early career account management advertising job at WPP not in line with her passion to create experiences. Through the experience Elliot places higher personal values on creativity and independence and then leaves the agency world to start her own company.

How Entrepeneur Gets Start Selling Frogs as Child - Hattie Elliot

In Chapter 1 of 16, entrepreneur and connector Hattie Elliot gets her first business experience as a child partnering with her cousin to sell frogs around her grandmother's house on Fire Island. The experience foreshadows what is to come, as Elliot would go on to start a series of business ventures, including The Grace List.

How Parents Connect Son's Passions to Engineering - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 3 of 17, engineer and Salesforce.com Chief Technology Architect Marc Ferrentino is nurtured and encouraged by parents who recognize what he enjoyed and where he exceled. Ferrentino's parents translate his love for tinkering, technology and science fiction into an engineering career, repeating to him daily that he would one day be an engineer. To this day, Ferrentino puts down occupation as engineer no matter what his role in an organization.

What Matters Most When Pitching a Movie, Charity or Venture - Slava Rubin

In Chapter 4 of 16 in his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, Slava Rubin answers "Based on Your Experiences as an Entrepreneur, as Someone Involved in Film and Someone Involved in Philanthropy, What are the Most Important Elements When Making a Good Pitch for Financing?" Rubin shares fundraising pitch lessons learned from his work financing films, starting a charitable foundation, and securing startup investors.  Rubin's recipe begins by being honest and passionate and continues with being clear and concise, taking no more than 3-5 minutes to communicate the idea.  Regardless of whether it is a movie, a business venture, or a philanthropy, Rubin advises need to present a team with an ability to execute and plan to apply financing to specific milestones and accomplishments.

Slava Rubin is CEO and co-founder of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform. Indiegogo empowers anyone, anywhere, anytime to raise funds for any idea—creative, cause-related or entrepreneurial. Prior to Indiegogo, Rubin worked as a management consultant. He earned his BSE degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Transcription:

Erik Michielsen:  So based on your experience in the film world, the entrepreneurial field, and the philanthropic world, raising money, what is your advice to others on the most important elements to include when making a pitch?

Slava Rubin:  I think the most important thing is to really be honest about what your pitch is and you can`t really fake a good pitch.  You have to be passionate about what you`re trying to offer and you have to also make it real.  Just because you can say real quickly three sentences doesn't make it a good pitch. The idea has to be clear and you have to be able to say it within five minutes, hopefully within three minutes, but definitely within five.  As soon as you start stumbling explaining away what your idea is, it`s because you don`t understand the idea yourself.  So it`s really important to make the idea feel real, be passionate about the idea, because someone who wants to invest in an idea, whether it`s philanthropy, a movie or a venture, they`re investing for the long term.  You can`t fake passion, you can fake a pitch, but people can read through people faking passion, so you have to be realistic.  Plus, the ability to execute has to be there, on your team, in your partners, in your [pause] whoever it is you`re lining up with, it has to be known that the money will go toward accomplishing something as opposed to pie in the sky visions.

How Gandhi Words Help Align Passion to Purpose - Louise Davis

In Chapter 11 of 20 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, Peer Health Exchange co-founder and social entrepreneur Louise Davis shares her interpretation of Gandhi's words "You must be the change you want to see in the world". Davis begins by identifying values and beliefs - being true to yourself - and then making an impact by taking action to put these passions to work.

How Drawing Passion Informs Commercial Art Career - Jason Anello

In Chapter 2 of 13, designer and Yahoo experimental marketer traces his love of commercial art from childhood to present day India.  As an eight-year old, Anello watches commercials and feels he can do better.  With parental encouragement, Anello's passion for drawing morphs in commercial art, including signs and logos, that remains true today as his travels uncover new commercial art treasures such as Goa, India bus stop advertisements.

Why to Work Full-Time Before Law School - Jen Duberstein

In Chapter 18 of 18, Major League Soccer legal counsel and Northwestern Law School graduate Jen Duberstein advises college graduates considering law school to gather full-time work experience before applying to law school. Duberstein shares how the time working provides law school applicants time to respect legal career commitment and prevent unhappy scenario of not liking law and being locked into three years of school and three years practicing to pay off loans.

How Corporate Lawyer Lives Passion Working in Sports - Jen Duberstein

In Chapter 2 of 18 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, Major League Soccer (MLS) legal counsel Jen Duberstein shares how developing an passion for watching sports and participating on teams early in life shaped career aspiration.  This leads Duberstein to law school, where she focuses her career on becoming a corporate lawyer practicing in the sports industry. Learning to trust and collaborate with others on teams prepared Duberstein for law school at Northwestern and her subsequent career at Proskauer Rose - http://www.proskauer.com/ , Time Warner, and MLS.  View more at career learning and development videos at http://www.captureyourflag.com

How Art and Philosophy Classes Shape Film Career - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 12 of 17 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan traces an unexpected path into a filmmaking career. Her Canarsie, Brooklyn childhood offered no creative outlet connection to filmmaking as it was not understood to be a career option in the family. Through college at Binghamton studying philosophy and literature and NYU graduate school photography, filmmaking remained an unexplored option. Over time, incremental storytelling experiences, including a video art course, shape filmmaking career possibility Regan chooses to pursue.