(1) Who are you and what do you do?
Dan Wise, founder and CEO of NY based meal delivery startup, RealEats
(2) In two sentences or less, describe how you participate in the startup ecosystem.
I’m an entrepreneur who has launched several startups. I thrive on building stuff and love helping turn amazing ideas into thriving businesses.
(3) What are you currently reading right now and would recommend to others?
Core: How a Single Organizing Idea can change Business for Good by Neil Caught
(4) What makes you stay in the startup ecosystem?
I also have a convenient memory that forgets all the difficult stuff from the last one and that keeps me coming back.
(5) What drives your passion about the startup ecosystem?
I’m a velocity junky and there’s nothing as exhilarating as the energy that culminates in the combined will power of a group of people who are collectively trying to achieve a ridiculously difficult goal.
(6) Where do you see the startup ecosystem in 5 years?
In some ways, it will stay the same -full of spirit, energy, and a need to push past the limits, but with the amount of capital available and continued advancement in tech, I do think innovation will accelerate and at exponentially increasing rate. I’m hopeful tech innovations will continue to focus on a sustainable and democratized future.
(7) How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
No matter how much I read about failure being the catalyst to success, I still hate it. The more I hate it, the more I want to beat it. So, I guess what they say is true.
(8) What is one of the best worthwhile investments you’ve ever made (could be financial, time, energy, etc.)?
The most worthwhile investment I’ve ever made is in my kids, both emotionally and in their education. There’s very little that’s more rewarding than watching the human race evolve right in front of my eyes.
(9) What do you do to refocus yourself when you feel overwhelmed or unfocused?
I suck at that. I need to work on it.
(10) What’s one piece of advice you would give someone trying to break into the startup ecosystem?
It’s really easy to overthink it, so don’t. You’ll know when it’s the right opportunity. Then, just hold on tight, expect a bumpy ride, but don’t let go because no matter what happens, it’s all worth it.
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