(1) Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Ed Brennan, President & Board Member at CashBet. We recently sold my company to a large global partner.
(2) In two sentences or less, describe how you participate in the startup ecosystem.
I do advisory work for several startups on Silicon Valley, and also work at StartX, Stanford’s accelerator, helping young companies grow.
(3) What are you currently reading right now and would recommend to others?
Zero to One, by Peter Thiel. He actually funded one of the companies I do advisory work for.
(4) What makes you stay in the startup ecosystem?
The vibrancy. Startups offer a chance to use a much larger portion of your brain power than larger companies.
(5) What drives your passion about the startup ecosystem?
I love learning about new technologies. It is something I have great passion for.
(6) Where do you see the startup ecosystem in 5 years?
Bigger, faster, better. I think the traditional incubators are going to evolve quite a bit. I also think the education system will evolve like Draper University.
(7) How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
I once sold a company that I thought was a failure. It later pivoted and did very well. Proper capitalization is everything at a startup. With money, you can conquer the world.
(8) What is one of the best worthwhile investments you’ve ever made (could be financial, time, energy, etc.)?
Taking a chance on a small unknown company and helping turn it into a $1.2B unicorn.
(9) What do you do to refocus yourself when you feel overwhelmed or unfocused?
Exercise. If you don’t get regular exercise, you will never be at your best.
(10) What’s one piece of advice you would give someone trying to break into the startup ecosystem?
Never eat alone. Take meetings with anyone who asks. Remember: you are who you hang out with. Be ruthless with your time. FOCUS !!!!
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