When I transitioned from academia to starting a tech company, I didn't have many role models, especially in Miami, which wasn't a startup hub at the time.

In the early days, there wasn't a venture capital industry, and it was unusual for a 16-year-old to have a profitable business.

In the mid to late 2000s, more capital became available for early-stage startups, making it easier to start a company.

I was really into Linux early on, and I wanted to work on technically interesting projects, but there weren't many startups focused on Linux at the time.

Networking was crucial; I started with no connections in the aerospace industry and reached out to as many people as possible for advice.

I fell into entrepreneurship accidentally; I went to college to be a computer programmer, but after the dot-com bubble burst, startups weren't on anyone's mind.

I still feel like I know very little about startups, and having a community of motivated people around me is incredibly valuable.

The 1970s were a dynamic time for innovation, with many early computer companies emerging, but today, it's more challenging for new startups to gain traction without unique insights that existing companies overlook.

I leveraged personal connections to get introductions to investors, which was crucial in raising my first million before Y Combinator.