Is Entrepreneurship About Building Businesses—Or Discovering Yourself?
We are shaped by the businesses we build, just as much as we shape them. Each venture, whether a success or failure, reveals a deeper layer of who we are. But is the entrepreneurial path about finding the right business—or finding ourselves?
The Weight of Inheritance
I grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs—artists, software developers, designers, aviators, ranchers. Success, it seemed, was an equation waiting to be solved. But the formula never quite fit. From early ventures in photography and videography to a home theater installation business in Seattle, each idea felt like a fragment of a larger picture. Meanwhile, my brother thrived in his small-town TV repair shop—simple, steady, fulfilling. Could it be that simplicity, not scale, was the answer?
Breaking & Rebuilding
In 2012, I left a corporate role at Electronic Arts, searching for meaning in media and technology. A move to NYC, a degree from The New School, and a fresh start in San Diego led me to launch a web development agency. Websites, like businesses, are frameworks—scaffolding for ideas. I built for others, then for myself. Some ideas thrived, others never left the ground.
The Cycle of Creation
Entrepreneurship is iteration. Learning to build means learning to dismantle—letting go of what doesn’t serve and refining what does. It took me years to realize: the path isn’t just about launching businesses; it’s about constructing a life that fits.
So, what drives your work? Is it success, survival, or something else entirely?
(Drop your thoughts below—what have your failures taught you?)