1. What were you doing before you launched your startup?

I started building my first company right after college. Having attended Carnegie Mellon, my closest friends took high-paying and prestigious jobs at companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, JP Morgan, etc., but I knew from the get go that this wasn’t for me. Both my parents were immigrants that successfully built companies and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, and I knew from an early age that this was the path I wanted to pursue.

2. When did you realize you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I was eleven the first time I realized that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. We were living in South America at the time, and my parent’s business was going through a downturn. Naturally, they tried to protect my brother and me from being exposed but found little success in doing so. It quickly became the only topic of conversation at the dinner table and ignited a passion for problem-solving and decision making that has guided me to this day. I found it exhilarating how against all odds, my parents maneuvered their way around a crisis and the resilience it took to do so. I spent the next decade observing my parents build multiple businesses in the US, providing constant reminders along the way that this was the path I wanted to follow.

3. What initial hesitations did you have about starting your first company?

I knew that I was leaving a lot on the table by not starting my career at a big company where I could learn how things operated at scale without the chaos and uncertainty that a startup brings. Ultimately, the pull of starting a company was too big, and I jumped into it with minimal hesitation.

4. What are you doing now?

I’m a co-founder and CEO at Logixboard, a company building the next generation SaaS platform for the two-trillion dollar freight forwarding industry. We relocated the company from Miami to Seattle last year after raising a seed round from some of the top investors in California, Boston, and the PNW.

5. Looking back on your experience of founding a company, what do you know that you wish you knew before? Are you happy with your decision?

Everything is solvable. No one problem will define your company because there are so many to deal with at any point in time. Staying positive and understanding that everything has a solution is critical. Prioritizing and balancing the things that will have the most profound and meaningful impact on the business today and in the future will help you build a sustainable and successful business. Lastly, put in the work to leverage the community – while building a company is a monumental task, there are people out there that are willing and eager to help.

6. Any other advice you can share for others contemplating a similar path?

Believe in yourself and block out the noise. Managing rejection, hardships, and crises come with the territory when you’re a founder. Having an unwavering belief in your ability to manage the journey is critical to building a successful company and culture.

1. What were you doing before you quit your job?

Before leaving to start Kaskada, I worked as an engineer at Google and led a global open-source project under the auspices of The Apache Software Foundation.

2. When did you realize you wanted to quit your job?

I enjoyed the work I was doing, but eventually I felt that internal push to start building a team and a product I knew customers needed and that I was deeply passionate about. That said, if you had asked me 10 years ago where I’d be now, I never would have thought this would be my reality, but every day I’m thankful it is.

3. What initial hesitations did you have about quitting your job and how did you overcome them?

I had some early hesitations, but I’ve never shied away from making bold decisions. When I immigrated to the US from Croatia in my twenties, I knew I’d be a small fish in a big pond and need to work my way up. The decision to create Kaskada was the same – I was building on the work I had already done but I was still starting at the bottom.

4. Can you remember the day you put in your notice?  What was it like, what was going through your mind, how did your manager take it?

I was excited – executing on a plan after making a decision, that’s the easy part. It’s the first year that’s hard; building an effective leadership team, pursuing funding, all the early successes that are critical as the company grows. Success is never accidental, it’s a personal combination of putting in the time, networking, and iterating on your idea and pitch repeatedly. You must learn from the “no’s” in order to start turning them into “yeses.”

5. What are you doing now?

Most of my days are built around supporting my team and the company’s needs and engaging with others so I can continue learning and growing Kaskada. Before the pandemic, I was always out meeting with people face to face, and now that’s being somewhat replicated on video calls. I really value the opportunity of in-person exchanges both personally and in business, but for now video is a close second.

6. Looking back on your experience of founding a company, what do you know that you wish you knew before? Are you happy with your decision?

Every single day I love my job, and most days it loves me back. I’ve learned a lot about myself, people, and the industry by going through this and I have no regrets. At the end of the day, I want to live life to the fullest; just sitting around isn’t my idea of a life well lived.

7. Any other advice you can share for others contemplating a similar path?

Time is the most limited resource we have – don’t waste it living someone else’s life or working a job you aren’t thriving in. Seek satisfaction in addition to compensation.