What you can learn from a 19-year-old entrepreneur who raised $1 million to launch an app

This weekend I spoke at Wabash College’s 2nd Entrepreneur Summit. The other keynote speaker was 19-year-old Cory Levy. There’s buzz that Cory might be the next Mark Zuckerberg. He likely grows tired of the comparison, but he looks the part.

For 19, the dude dropped some wisdom.

On Asking

If you ask for money, you’ll get advice. If you ask for advice, you’ll get money.

This is what he learned as he tried to raise funds to launch his app. Too often we approach people asking, “What can you do for me?” instead of, “Hey, I respect what you’ve accomplished and I’d love to pick your brain a bit.”

Admitting that you don’t know everything and asking…

Knowing a lot of writers doesn't make you a writer (and other thoughts on community)

I was the first author I ever knew. I’m also the first person I’ve met who got sprayed by a skunk, shot himself in the leg with his BB gun, and put a sweater defuzzer to his tongue (ouch!).

I did not grow up in a community of writers or artists. I grew up in a community of farmers, and then non-writer college students, and then SCUBA divers. I have never talked craft over a cup of caffeinated anything.

Because of all of this, or perhaps in spite of all of this, I am the writer I am today. I’m not saying I’m a fantabulous writer, but I tell stories that allow me to do…

I'm just the writer

The New York Times recently did a profile/review of author Katherine Boo and her new book Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity

Since 2005 Boo has visited a slum near Mumbai and documents life there in the book. The Times review ends with this passage:

Another thing that makes her uncomfortable is policy wonkery, and by design “Beautiful Forevers,” a book as depressing as it is memorable, has no summing-up chapter full of recommendations. “I respect the division of labor,” she said. “My job is to lay it out clearly, not to give my policy prescriptions.” She added: “Very little journalism is world changing. But if change is to happen, it will…

33

Yesterday I got a nice note from a publisher in Germany wishing me a happy 33rd birthday. He called 33 a repdigit. He told me that the translation of “repdigit” in Germany is hilarious. I’ll have to take his word for it.

Anyhow, he got me thinking about repdigits.

11

I was carefree. I spent my days pounding the pavement of our basketball court, driving a Go-Kart around the dirt track in our field, and playing TECMO Bowl (the first awesome football video game.)

22

Oh my God! Oh my God! I’m almost an adult! Or am I an adult? I think 22 has to be the scariest age in which you aren’t worried about…

Africa Does Not Need More Orphanages

Abide Promo Video from Abide Family Center on Vimeo.

Kelsey Nielsen, a 22 year old social work major at Temple University, pointed me to a post she had written about orphanages in Uganda. It kind of blew my mind in that it made me look at orphanages in developing nations in a new way. Kelsey spent 12 months in Uganda and started the Abide Family Center (feel free to donate!) alongside Megan Parker. I asked her to expand her post and write a guest post.

Patrick, a twenty year old, first time father, sits with his wife’s head in his lap. Their beautiful four month old baby boy lay sleeping next to them.   Patrick sits silently listening…