Working with founders and witnessing their journeys through successes and challenges is incredibly inspiring and fulfilling.

I found that I prefer running a company over being on the sidelines as an investor; many founders miss this realization when they start investing.

Having been a founder myself helps me as an investor because I understand the challenges and can identify kindred spirits among entrepreneurs.

It's unfair for junior investors to advise entrepreneurs without having earned the right through experience; true understanding comes from having built a large company and faced its challenges.

Finding leaders who have scaled companies before and surrounding myself with experienced individuals has been crucial for my growth as a first-time CEO.

I made millions value investing in poorly managed companies that I bought very cheaply, but it's much more enjoyable to watch someone you admire succeed than to see a poorly managed company fail.

Investors are like employees you can't fire, so it's vital to choose those who care about your vision and will support you through challenges.

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.

Hiring experienced executives at the right time can dramatically impact a startup's growth and management capabilities.