James Currier

And then I flew on to Asia and I got a job at Star TV because they had, anyway, they were doing technology and media and whatnot. Then I got fired from there and I went to Beijing and I was studying Mandarin. And then I got misdiagnosed for the heart disease and sent home.

And then I flew on to Asia and I got a job at Star TV because they had, anyway, they were doing technology and media and whatnot. Then I got fired from there and I went to Beijing and I was studying Mandarin. And then I got misdiagnosed for the heart disease and sent home.

I think what was happening was, this might be interesting to your audience, which is I was struggling between the fear of having no money and the fear of living a boring life. And I was grinding up toward the realization that I was more scared of living a boring life than I was of not having any money or anything to eat.

I think what was happening was, this might be interesting to your audience, which is I was struggling between the fear of having no money and the fear of living a boring life. And I was grinding up toward the realization that I was more scared of living a boring life than I was of not having any money or anything to eat.

That's the thing. I felt like I want to live an amazing life and I'm willing to die for that. So when I got back to Boston, I went and took a job at a venture capital firm. And then I learned all about venture capital and how that all works. I was smiling and dialing, trying to sell money for battery ventures.

That's the thing. I felt like I want to live an amazing life and I'm willing to die for that. So when I got back to Boston, I went and took a job at a venture capital firm. And then I learned all about venture capital and how that all works. I was smiling and dialing, trying to sell money for battery ventures.

And then they came to my room and said, here's your recommendation to Harvard Business School. Go to Harvard Business School. They had all been to Harvard Business School. So I applied. I got in because they said I should. And I had done all the things. And then I got in and I went to that. But that, again, wasn't quite the thing. Again, this was the normal track. This was safety.

And then they came to my room and said, here's your recommendation to Harvard Business School. Go to Harvard Business School. They had all been to Harvard Business School. So I applied. I got in because they said I should. And I had done all the things. And then I got in and I went to that. But that, again, wasn't quite the thing. Again, this was the normal track. This was safety.

This was the fear that I grew up with of not having enough to eat. And by the time I was done with HBS, I felt like I had turned over enough rocks. I knew that I could always get a job for $60,000 somewhere because I had this HBS degree. And then I had to decide, do I go back into venture capital or do I become a startup founder?

This was the fear that I grew up with of not having enough to eat. And by the time I was done with HBS, I felt like I had turned over enough rocks. I knew that I could always get a job for $60,000 somewhere because I had this HBS degree. And then I had to decide, do I go back into venture capital or do I become a startup founder?

And this guy named Mike Zack at CRV, Charles River Ventures, he said to me, I'm listening to you here at dinner. It's our sixth meeting. We're ready to make you an offer, but I can see that you need to be an entrepreneur and you need to go do that. You'll be a better venture capitalist later once you've done that.

And this guy named Mike Zack at CRV, Charles River Ventures, he said to me, I'm listening to you here at dinner. It's our sixth meeting. We're ready to make you an offer, but I can see that you need to be an entrepreneur and you need to go do that. You'll be a better venture capitalist later once you've done that.

And he was the one who finally slapped me in the face and said, dude, you're an entrepreneur. I was 31 at the time. And so that's when I started my first startup. And then we almost went out of business twice.

And he was the one who finally slapped me in the face and said, dude, you're an entrepreneur. I was 31 at the time. And so that's when I started my first startup. And then we almost went out of business twice.

Right. So here's the thing. Here's my advice to your crowd is don't become an entrepreneur. If one, you haven't been an entrepreneur since you were six or 12, and it's just part of your DNA, or you have an idea in your head that you can't not do. And both things were true for me at that time. I had been a little entrepreneur since I was six and I had an idea I couldn't not do it. I couldn't sleep.

Right. So here's the thing. Here's my advice to your crowd is don't become an entrepreneur. If one, you haven't been an entrepreneur since you were six or 12, and it's just part of your DNA, or you have an idea in your head that you can't not do. And both things were true for me at that time. I had been a little entrepreneur since I was six and I had an idea I couldn't not do it. I couldn't sleep.

I was so excited about it. I was having visions about it. It filled my soul. And so I had to do it. And Mike Zak thankfully saw that. And he said to me, you need to go do this.

I was so excited about it. I was having visions about it. It filled my soul. And so I had to do it. And Mike Zak thankfully saw that. And he said to me, you need to go do this.

That's exactly right. Especially if you're going to raise venture capital, which most companies shouldn't. But if you are, it's a prison. You have to exit that company and give the investors their money back. You're just in the prison. You've got a sentence until you exit.

That's exactly right. Especially if you're going to raise venture capital, which most companies shouldn't. But if you are, it's a prison. You have to exit that company and give the investors their money back. You're just in the prison. You've got a sentence until you exit.