I started writing a personal blog to practice my writing skills, inspired by Paul Graham's impactful writing that helps startup founders.

After selling my first company to Groupon, I wanted to work on something that would inspire me and allow me to create new skills and knowledge. I never want to be 80 years old looking backwards and wondering what if I tried.

I started my first company out of my dorm room at Stanford, aiming to help students get jobs at banks and consulting firms, but it ultimately didn't work out because no one was using LinkedIn at the time.

My first company was called Accolade, which focused on online SAT prep, but we were rejected by Y Combinator because my co-founder and I were part-time and had other commitments.

After exiting my first company, I spent time working at startups and venture builders to gain experience and learn from faster-growing companies.

We launched our first version of The Muse using a WordPress site, providing career advice targeted at women in their twenties, despite investors claiming it was a small market.

We initially started a company based on a bad idea, trying to create a wiki for stock research, but it never took off, which is common in consumer businesses where success can feel random.

My early ventures were more about enjoying what I was doing with friends rather than analyzing market opportunities; we built websites around our passions, like soccer and technology.

After selling my company, I was invited to be the first healthcare and biotech partner at Y Combinator, where I could share my story and help other founders.