ALEXA VON TOBEL - CEO & Founder, LearnVest
Alexa von Tobel, CEO & Founder, LearnVest
Two years ago I had an idea for a website. I wanted to bring trusted personal finance education to women online – and do so in a fun and hip way. In December 2008, when most were hiding cash under their mattress, I decided to leave a well paying job, invest all of the money I made post college, and take on the challenge of building a company.
Despite the recession, I was able to develop my idea into a viable business and today; LearnVest is a venture-backed TechCrunch50 company educating thousands of women about personal finance.
I want to share with you the 5 most powerful lessons I learned throughout my experience building a company. Many of the tips I'm discussing with you were passed down from others who were kind enough to share their experiences and insight with me.
1. Get skin in the game.
Despite the recession, I was able to develop my idea into a viable business and today; LearnVest is a venture-backed TechCrunch50 company educating thousands of women about personal finance.
I want to share with you the 5 most powerful lessons I learned throughout my experience building a company. Many of the tips I'm discussing with you were passed down from others who were kind enough to share their experiences and insight with me.
1. Get skin in the game.
Foregoing income is one thing; investing your own money in your idea is another. At a time when the economy was at its worst, I took a leap and invested all the money I made post-college into starting LearnVest. I don't recommend that everyone else be this crazy, but having a personal investment in your company will influence every decision you make.