Please, introduce yourself and your business.
Joshua Marpet, I'm an advisor to multiple businesses and organizations through IANS, . I podcast on Paul's Security Weekly, and Security Weekly News. I run conferences, such as BSidesDE and am a board member of BSidesDC and Skytalks.
I am marketing one startup, Infosecquote, and building another (stealth currently) ClearanceCore.
I'm also starting another podcast, called PolicyVerse. I'm hoping to launch in a week or so, where I'll be doing a quick 15 minute Information Security Policy News daily. Details are tough. :)
How did you start your business?
Finding the right people to implement an interesting idea. That's always the case.
How much revenue was your best year? (include margin if possible)
500k or so. Margin was pretty good.
When did you notice traction when building your business? The “Oh S**t!” moment, what did that feel like?
When I realized sales is the hardest thing to start a business, I concentrated on learning how to do that.
What was your childhood like? Were you slinging candy on the playground?
Not especially. :) I was always interested in learning, and understanding processes. I wasn't business minded, except that my dad has had his business for over 50 years, and I always thought that was normal. :)
What has been your best marketing marketing channel?
Speaking at conferences.
How many attempts at building something did you make before you found what you’re working on now? Did you always have an entrepreneurial drive?
Oh dear, 12 companies? IT's been a rollercoaster. It's not easy, and "serial entrepreneur" means "I fail a LOT, and I get up, learn from the skinned knee, and build better next time"
What is your biggest overhead expense?
I build companies now to have minimal overhead. People are always the biggest expense. ALWAYS. Hire slow, fire fast.
What’s the most important skill you’ve learned?
How to sell, and how to get out of my own way when I'm selling. How to value a business, how to do financial modeling, how to understand product-market fit. How to find the right people, and use them.
What do you spend the majority of your time doing, in a given week? (I think a lot of people hear entrepreneurs “work,” but may not understand what that means on a day-to-day basis.
I advise companies typically 2-5 hours a day (that's how I make my mortgage!). I have meetings with other entrepreneurs and contacts for an hour or two a day. I read voraciously to keep up on my areas for at least an hour or two a day. I procrastinate some, but I have learned strategies to get myself out of it.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when first starting your business?
How to sell.
The world of entrepreneurship can be misleading. Many people think it’s always easy and always glamorous. What’s a big problem you’ve faced as a business owner and what were the emotions behind it?
My family doesn't understand what I do. My wife does, but everyone else thinks I'm some kind of crazed lunatic.
It's harder than anything, most of all because a stable paycheck isn't there. People think you're rich. hahahahaha. People want to be the idealized version of you. But they don't want to put in the labor.
Many people don’t know where to start in the business world, they feel stuck. They may want to start a business to become their own boss and create their hours. What is your best advice for someone who feels completely stuck?
You can build yourself a business or a job. A job is where you trade time for money. A business is where you (eventually) trade other people's time for money, or a product for money. If you're not making money while you sleep? It's not a business.
Figure out which you want. If you want a job, that's fine!!!!! Just be clear about it.
If you are stuck starting a business, go get someone to write a check. No, seriously!!! If you can't get someone to write a check for you to deliver something a year out, then it's not a business that will succeed. And it may take you 20 pitches to get to that moment.
Refine, rebuild, ask questions!! Why won't you write a check? Not accusingly, but, hey, please tell me why you think this is a bad solution, or won't work for you?
Connect with Joshua on Linkedin, here:
Joshua Marpet