I grew up in a middle-class family, and my father's optimism and work ethic had a significant impact on my outlook on life. I learned a little bit about business when I was young, realizing that sometimes employees' interests can differ from those of the employer.

I met Warren Buffett in 1959 when I returned to wind up my father's law practice, and I immediately recognized his intelligence and shared interest in successful investing.

I learned the importance of networking and building relationships, which helped me transition from selling carpets to investing in startups.

I initially pursued a career in investment banking after leaving the military, which helped me build a toolkit of knowledge before starting my own company.

I started my journey in sales while working on my college newspaper, where I learned to sell ads to local businesses.

I learned the value of hard work and the importance of education from my dad, who wanted us to avoid the backbreaking work he did.

I started investing at a young age, motivated by my parents' encouragement and the opportunity to build a portfolio on Yahoo Finance during the dot-com boom.

During my childhood, I didn't engage in much entrepreneurial activity, but I learned to use a computer early on and made money fixing computers for friends and family.

I learned equally, if not more, from working in a fast-growing startup than I would have in college, especially in understanding how a venture builder or VC thinks.