Big vs small

My journey into entrepreneurship began with an extraordinary gesture from Duane Pearsall, a founder-turned-VC who believed in giving back to young founder-types. He funded my first degree, asking in return that I someday do something significant for someone else. Duane placed me in a startup his fund had recently invested in, offering me firsthand experience as startup employee #6.

However, his most impactful advice was urging me to start my career by working in a large company before pursuing entrepreneurship.

He explained that a common mistake among entrepreneurs is lacking firsthand experience with the decision-making, communication, leadership, and motivation styles of large companies. Entrepreneurs often view large companies as bureaucratic and slow, yet understanding the leadership and management style needed to run a Fortune 500 company is invaluable. This experience becomes crucial when a startup aims to attract a large company as a customer or partner, requiring founders to have the skill set to capture the attention of Fortune 500 companies, navigate their structure effectively and diplomatically, and secure agreements.

Following Duane's advice, I began my career at a $1B industrial conglomerate, gaining firsthand experience in structure, decision-making processes, and cross-functional collaboration toward achieving goals. Today, I frequently use these skills during B2B venture validation: getting first pilot commitments, closing first sales, and securing first partnerships with large corporations.

I regularly share Duane’s insights on the value of large company experience before building a startup. I encourage early-career founders to start in Fortune 500 companies to master the essentials of systematizing operations, scaling, and honing negotiation skills. One day these founders will capitalize on these skills to forge partnerships with Fortune 500s for their startups.

Duane's generosity and advice have profoundly influenced my path. He inspired my commitment to supporting other founders. I have mentored tirelessly in multiple startup accelerators and universities, including Harvard iLAB, MIT Media Lab, Yale, CornellTech, ERA, Starta, Drexel, CUNY, Arizona State, and Techstars. I am a firm believer in the principle of 'give first’.