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Marc Hoag, Founder/CEO of Venturocket
Name: Marc Hoag
Current Startup: Venturocket
Bio: Marc is a California-licensed attorney with an econ degree from UCLA and a strong background in math, science, and classical piano. He actually can’t live without his iPhone, quotes Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson a little too frequently, is addicted to Quora and Y Combinator’s Hacker News, absorbs The Economist weekly, loves skiing at Sugar Bowl in Tahoe, and needs to be placed in direct sunlight.
Lessons Learned: This isn’t just a cliché, this is very true; things always take longer than you think they will. No matter what sort of hard deadline you set, you have to assume things will take longer. I know everyone knows this and says this, but it is very different to understand and manage expectations well. Time is a very real problem that can be turned into a non-probem if you are aware and manage effectively.
Staying Motivated: The futility of the current job market both locally and internationally motivates me. Many people across the world cannot get connected professionally. It’s a huge dead weight loss on society and a massive problem for not only the US, but also for places like Brazil and India that have huge talent pools. Cheaper access to technology has helped people develop their skills worldwide, but a lack of infrastructure limits opportunities for people in developing nations to get connected in their own countries. It’s a huge waste of resources to have intelligent, talented people either underemployed or unemployed because there isn’t an adequate system to efficiently connect them with the best opportunities for their particular skills and abilities.
Mentors: I am lucky to have the mentorship of my parents, especially my Dad. My Dad, Dr. Peter Hoag, has been involved in several startups. Most recently he co-founded AnchorFree with long time friend David Gorodyansky. David, CEO of AnchorFree, is also on our advisory board and has had an active role at Venturocket. He has been there to answer literally every single question that I have needed answered.
Less formally, I have a great support network of friends who I have known most of my life. One of my friends, Zach Taylor, is on my advisory board as well and has been a great help since day one.
I really don’t think that I would be able to accomplish as much as I have without the help of my mentors. I say this with a lot of pride, it’s a testament to how much my mentors have helped me and I feel very lucky to be able to say it.
Want to learn more about @venturocket? Connect with Marc on Twitter @marchoag
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