Sramana Mitra: Interesting. The reason why I’m curious about what you’re describing is that I have done quite a lot of travel. I continue to work while I’m traveling. At one time, I was calling my colleague in New Jersey. I said, “Guess where I’m calling you from? I’m calling you from a cave in
Sramana Mitra: You stayed with the company for three years and that brings us to 2011, yes? Colin Campbell: Yes. Just an interesting note about the three years is that I was working as a corporate executive in a corporate environment. It was very difficult. There was a lot of politics. I reported directly to
Sramana Mitra: You started doing this in 2008 you said? Kean Graham: 2010. Sramana Mitra: In 2010, you basically worked with your prior employer and figured out how to increase their revenue. When did you add team members to this process? Kean Graham: About the third year. For the first three years, I was outsourcing.
Sramana Mitra: That company was also bootstrapped? Colin Campbell: Yes, bootstrapped. Talking about bootstrapping, I actually used some of my student loans and credit cards to start the first company. There was no funding when I started. In any case, we sold the company. My other company, Internet Direct, went public and we sold that
Sramana Mitra: When you double-click down on that goal and thought about what kind of a business would fit that model, talk to me about all the different ideas that went through your mind. Kean Graham: A lot of ideas. Sramana Mitra: That’s precisely what I want to do. What was the process of figuring
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Colin, in one of his ventures, worked 10 years, and made no money when the company was exited. Subsequently, his perspective has evolved, and in this interview, he offers lessons on what to watch out for. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Kean wanted to be able to build a digital business that he could work on from anywhere in the world, a lifestyle business that fulfils a very specific desire. Read his fascinating story, as the business has now started to scale. Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at
Sramana Mitra: How did the revenue move from a million dollars in ’87. Where are you now? Paula Tompkins: We have been through three major downturns. The first in the 1990’s where we had to reinvent ourselves. Then there was the 2001 dot-com collapse where one of my major clients came to me and said,