Entrepreneur Archives | Page 4 of 5 | The Great Discontent (TGD)

Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh

Designer, Entrepreneur, Scientist / By The Great Discontent

I first saw Jane speak at this year’s 99U conference. Amazed by her openness and genuine love for what she does, I immediately wanted to learn more. Jane is a go-getter who is not afraid of a little hard work. That’s evident in the fact that it took six years of working in anonymity before sugru was released into the world. Read on to learn about how Jane’s childhood in the countryside strengthened her innate DIY spirit, how a failed experiment turned into an opportunity, and why, even when the situation appeared bleak, there was still hope for success. Jane is a pioneer who has merged science, design, and business to create a product that is putting fun back into people’s lives. Thank you, Jane, for inspiring all of us to embrace play. —Tina

Jeffrey Veen

Designer, Developer, Entrepreneur / By The Great Discontent

Jeffrey Veen is no stranger to the world of products. At the helm of Adobe’s Creative Cloud service, he has the ability to shape the experiences of millions of users. Before that, he led the team at Typekit in bringing web fonts to websites everywhere. But where did his story begin? As a young student, Jeffrey grew to love writing, and in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he studied as an English major, but his ever present interest in computers eventually led him to the web. His digital career began in 1994 at Wired, and included a handful of jobs that he left in order to pursue more satisfying work. Now, almost two decades later, Jeffrey opens up about the risks he’s taken, offers his thoughts on issues that are important to him—from the longevity of our content to product management—and gives his best advice: if you get really, really good at something, then it will almost certainly turn into your passion—a sentiment which is echoed by Jeffrey’s own journey. —Tina

Cameron Russell

Artist, Entrepreneur, Model, Publisher, Recommended / By The Great Discontent

After a decade as a model, Cameron Russell wowed audiences with her candid TED Talk, “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” In the talk, Cameron describes the legacy she has inherited as a model—more on that in the interview—but we wanted to talk to Cameron about the legacy she’s building. Growing up, Cameron was obsessed with politics, but as she got older and became more disillusioned with our political system, she opted for a grassroots approach. Now, she is leveraging the platform she has been given to help other’s voices be heard. Read on to learn about Cameron’s early path, her career as a model, the work she is most passionate about, and the inheritance she hopes to leave for generations to come. —Tina

Jen & Naz

Designer, Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

What a pair! As a husband and wife team, Naz and Jen can match each other stride for stride. Their strengths perfectly compliment one another and they have contributed incredible work to the digital sphere. Their individual paths started far from one another, but crossed in Chicago, where they met and began their journey together. Learn about Naz and Jen’s early lives, their pivotal experiences, the big decisions they’ve made, and what they hope to contribute. We’re already inspired by what Naz and Jen have accomplished together and, with their natural inclination for collaboration with each other, we know that whatever the future holds, it’s going to be awesome. —Tina

Jason Fried

Designer, Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

The story of 37signals is widely known among those who use and love the company’s web-based apps, but what about the story of Jason Fried, President and cofounder of 37signals? Although he originally pursued a finance degree, an interest in developing software led him to working on the web and the rest is history. In addition, his early job experiences taught him about the kind of company he wanted to build as well as the kind of culture he wanted to create. And he set out to do just that. Read on to learn about Jason’s personal path and to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophies that have shaped the way he does business and why he’s most interested in making something that stands the test of time. —Tina

Brad Smith

Designer, Entrepreneur / By The Great Discontent

Stories are powerful reminders that we are never alone and we’ve been continually reminded of that since beginning TGD in August 2011. Over and over again, we’ve received responses from readers who have felt a connection with the experiences of people we’ve featured. From the beginning, we have encouraged those we interview to be as open and honest as they’re comfortable with—those moments of vulnerability are the moments of deepest resonance. This is Brad’s story, uncensored. Drawing upon his wealth of experiences, he offers us what he’s learned about business, risk, purpose, community, and finding success in the unlikeliest of places—because sometimes success first looks like failure. —Tina

Scott & Vik Harrison

Designer, Entrepreneur, Nonprofit, Recommended / By The Great Discontent

Have you ever met someone who is so excited about what they do that it’s contagious? Okay, now imagine two people who are so passionate about their work that they live and breathe it—that’s Scott and Vik, the dynamic couple behind charity\: water. We met Scott and Vik at the charity\: water space in Lower Manhattan, where they engaged us with stories about their lives leading up to charity\: water, which is when their paths converged into one. From humble beginnings, they sacrificed, risked, and never gave up. Because of their determination and willingness to dream big, charity\: water has grown to change the way people think about nonprofits and has brought clean, safe drinking water to people all over the world. —Tina

Chris & Cameron

Designer, Developer, Entrepreneur / By The Great Discontent

Chris and Cameron are two of the most stand-up guys we’ve ever met and we’re super lucky to call them friends. Not wanting to be in the spotlight, they were initially reluctant to do this interview, but we got them to say yes. Get ready, folks! Our conversation covers a lot of ground—design, business, Brooklyn Beta, cowboy movies, risk, legacy vs. impact, 83(b)s, mentors, advice, pizza, and life lessons—but whatever parts resonate with you, we know you’ll be challenged and inspired by the wisdom, wit, and candor of these two. Thanks, Chris and Cameron, for kicking off 2013 with us—we couldn’t think of better company! —Tina

Jeffrey Zeldman

Designer, Developer, Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

In celebration of TGD turning one tomorrow, we’re going back to our roots. Jeffrey Zeldman—the “godfather of web standards”—has already left an indelible mark on the web industry and those of us who work in it, but what of his life before that? We met Jeffrey at A Space Apart, where he recounted a journey that started long before his work on the web. It’s a fascinating tale of multiple passions and paths that converged into one. Read on for a glimpse into the life and times of Zeldman as told by the man himself. —Tina

Seth Godin

Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

As kids, our Saturday mornings were spent in pajamas, eating breakfast and watching cartoons. As adults, we’ve ditched the cartoons and pajamas, but we still know how to have a good ol’ time and what could be more fun than spending a Saturday morning talking with Seth Godin? We’ve read his books, followed his blog, and been inspired by his work, so we were elated when he agreed to have a conversation with us—big thanks to Tina for the intro! We’re nothing short of honored to share Seth’s story on TGD and as you read on, we hope that you will be thoroughly challenged—not just today, but for many years to come. —Tina

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