A Founder’s Story with Howard Tullman

“It’s not about luxury, it’s not about big cars, and it’s not about money. It’s about waking up every day and being enthusiastic about the work you’re doing because it’s meaningful and challenging.”

Howard Tullman

Serial entrepreneur Howard Tullman has taken the stage many times on a host of tech, innovation, and entrepreneurial topics ranging far and wide. But when he sat down with host Pat Ryan for Founders’ Stories on December 12th, it was the first time he was taking the stage as the newly named CEO of 1871.

Tullman started off the evening with stories of programming in high school and his 10 years in law. Pat Ryan made the statement that Tullman could be considered one of the first big data guys, as they talked about how managing huge amounts of data while working on large-scale class action lawsuits prepared Howard for starting his company CCC Information Services.

But all eyes and ears were on Howard as he shared his experience and thoughts on building a successful startup, and stressed his belief that an entrepreneurial spirit filled with passion and a commitment to hard work will lead to success.

Never a dull moment with Howard, here are a few key takeaways to think about:

Starting a Company

• In starting a business, everything is going to take 2-3 times longer than you plan and be 2-3 times more expensive.
• Finding your product market fit means not assuming people in a market will do things the same way you would.
• There are always things that people don’t like doing. Eventually, they get out of the way and let the entrepreneur do it.
• One of the hardest things to realize is, what works on the whiteboard doesn’t always work in the real world.

Work and Passion

• Stop measuring by how much money you raise. Measure by your revenue and what you accomplish.
• Hard work, not brilliance, wins the day — no matter what field you’re in.
• You can train people to do things, but you can’t train them to care.
• The thing about being entrepreneurial is that you barely remember yesterday because you’re so focused on tomorrow.

1871 2.0

Tullman ended the evening with talk about his future vision for 1871 as the incoming CEO. His mission to increase the success rate of startups in the space will include enhancing resources and programming for them. Some of his initial ideas include: bringing IndieGoGo to 1871, introducing 3-D printers and video studios and creating suites for mid-stage startups to move into once they outgrow the co-working space so they can stay connected to the community.

Overall, one constant theme resonated throughout Howard’s Founders’ Stories talk. A true passion for creating and making incredible things happen is what is at the heart of every successful entrepreneur.

Howard’s entire talk with Pat Ryan can be replayed here.