Half shell

I built a technology empire from a sewer. No Ivy League degree. No venture capital. No fancy Silicon Valley office.

Just three brothers, a radioactive accident, and a rat who believed in us.

Growing up, people said I'd never amount to anything. Mostly because I was a turtle. But I refused to let society put me in a shell.

While other teenagers were partying, I was teaching myself robotics, engineering, and computer science.

In a sewer.
With no natural light.
And terrible Wi-Fi.

Everyone said the environment was toxic.
They were right. It was literally sewage.

But I saw opportunity where others saw waste. I became the technical cofounder of a lean, four-person startup.

Leonardo handled leadership and strategy.
Raphael handled customer complaints. Aggressively.
Michelangelo was Chief Culture Officer. He spent our entire operating budget on pizza.
And me? I built the technology.

We faced fierce competition from an established industry player named Shredder.

He had the resources.
He had the distribution.
He had an army of employees.

But we had something he didn't. Product-market fit.

New York had a massive underserved market for crime-fighting reptiles. And we were the only four players in the space.

They call me a mutant. I prefer disruptive innovator.

Remember: You don't need a garage to build the next big thing. Sometimes all you need is a sewer, a dream, and a willingness to come out of your shell.

#ShellMadeMillionaire #SewerToSeriesA #HumbledAndMutated #TurtleTech #LeanGreenStartupMachine #ThoughtLeadershipOnTheHalfShell

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Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I'm doing something nobody asked for.

Over the next six posts, I'll be sharing unsolicited LinkedIn thought leadership in the voices of my Halloween costumes from years past.

Culminating on Halloween with this year's character.

This was Post 3 of 6: Donatello

PS If you are in Japan and want to come to the best Halloween party, DM me.