16: Friends, Family and Startups with Robert Sweeney

05/06/19 • 82 min

Robert Sweeney is CEO of Facet, the premier platform for hiring senior contract software engineers.

Before becoming a founder, Robert was a senior software engineer himself at companies such as Netflix and Microsoft. Robert knew from an early age that he wanted to be an entrepreneur from working at his grandpa's grocery shop. Robert left Netflix with a friend to start a software development studio with an initial verbal contract from Western Digital.

In 2014, Robert founded Numetric, a SaaS based analytics startup. After working on the company for close to four years, hiring over 40 employees, and raising over $16 million in venture capital, Robert was fired from the very company that he founded.

Today, Robert is working full time on Facet and helping other engineers make the leap from full-time work to doing their own thing.

In today's episode, we talk about negotiating contracts, hiring and firing friends, and that time Robert's house almost burned down.

Quote

We had to make the decision that day... That didn't give us enough time to sign the contract. So we quit our jobs on a verbal yes.

– Robert Sweeney

Closing

inspiration
- being fired from my startup - changed my perspective on startups and venture capital and also provide extra motivation
surprising
- deal with anxiety
principal
- complete transparency
anything else
- successful entrepreneurs out there don't have anything that you don't have

Notes

working at grandpa's grocery store
early years at Microsoft and Netflix
first startup and quiting Netflix on a verbal agreement
working with western digital and communicating expectations
hiring and firing friends
that time when the house almost burned down
keeping a family together while doing a startup
Numetric, working with family, and getting fired from a company that you founded
facet, how it came to be and where its going

Links

These shownotes are also available at http://folkstories.org/16

Robert Sweeney is CEO of Facet, the premier platform for hiring senior contract software engineers.

Today, Robert is working full time on Facet and helping other engineers make the leap from full-time work to doing their own thing.

In today's episode, we talk about negotiating contracts, hiring and firing friends, and that time Robert's house almost burned down.

Quote

We had to make the decision that day... That didn't give us enough time to sign the contract. So we quit our jobs on a verbal yes.

– Robert Sweeney

Closing

inspiration
- being fired from my startup - changed my perspective on startups and venture capital and also provide extra motivation
surprising
- deal with anxiety
principal
- complete transparency
anything else
- successful entrepreneurs out there don't have anything that you don't have

Notes

working at grandpa's grocery store
early years at Microsoft and Netflix
first startup and quiting Netflix on a verbal agreement
working with western digital and communicating expectations
hiring and firing friends
that time when the house almost burned down
keeping a family together while doing a startup
Numetric, working with family, and getting fired from a company that you founded
facet, how it came to be and where its going

Links

These shownotes are also available at http://folkstories.org/16

Previous Episode

15: Domain Expertise with Jay Westerdal

Jay Westerdal is a CEO, founder, board member, and investor of a wide multitude of companies.

Jay first got interested in technology at an early age after witnessing early demonstrations of the internet in middle school. His first job out of college involved creating systems to help manage domain names, a field that Jay has stuck with ever since. Jay founded his own domain company, DomainTools, in 2001, which provided information about the history and ownership of internet domains. Jay also started the Domain RoundTable, a conference dedicated solely to the topic of domains. Jay later sold DomainTools in 2008 for an eight figure exit and continued to work with domains as well as technology ever since.

Today, Jay is CEO of 800.com, .Realty and Top Level Spectrum. 800.com is a company that provides companies with toll-free 800 numbers, .Realty is a domain registrar for real estate professionals, and Top level spectrum manages various top level domains like .feedback and .forum.

In today's episode, we talk about what domains are and why they matter, we talk about Jay's current day ventures and where he's going, and we talk about the systems Jay has put in place that lets him focus on so many different priorities.

Quote

I like to build a rocketship and ride it to the stratosphere but [exit] before it becomes a spaceship just sitting there doing nothing collecting whatever that status quo income is. – Jay Westerdal

Notes

Jay's initial interest in technology and the internet
web domains and domain registration
new top level domains and trends in the industry
domaintools, what it was and how it was sold
organizing a domain conference
Jay's current businesses
prioritizing tasks
what Jay looks for as an investor
investing in yourself
how to recharge

Closing

inspiration
- travel and looking at other people's concepts and ideas
surprising fact
- take vacations seriously
principle
- body is a temple, trying to live healthier and healthier everyday
closing notes
- would love to do more philanthropic stuff in the future, especially addressing homelessness in Seattle

Links

These shownotes are also available at http://folkstories.org/15

Next Episode

17: Following the Filmmaker's Journey with Bao Tran

Bao Tran is a professional filmmaker currently raising money for his first feature film, The Paper Tigers, a "Kung Fu indie feature film about three guys who are one kick away from pulling their hamstrings".

Despite knowing that he wanted to do film from watching kung fu movies as a kid, Bao got a degree in computer science as it was the responsible thing to do for someone that is the child of immigrants. This tension between following your dreams and doing what is expected is a theme that is explored both in film and in life for Bao.

Outside of The Paper Tigers, Bao's editing credits include CHO LON, one of Southeast Asia’s highest-budgeted action blockbusters, and JACKPOT, a heartfelt comedy selected as Vietnam’s official entry to the 2016 Oscars for Best Foreign Film.

In today's episode, we talk about kung fu and the action movie genre, we talk about what its like to fundraise for a film, and we talk about telling a good story and what that might mean.

Quote

You have a lot of people you might start out with earlier on but they kind of go their separate ways or they go civilian as we say... Its just industry is very tough and its very hard to keep going and continue doing this.

– Bao Tran

Notes

how Bao's love of kung fu films let to a career in film
pursuing passion vs fulfilling family expectations
marketing and sales for people that would rather do anything else
Bao's first feature film - The Paper Tigers
film fundraising and kickstarter
diversity and shooting with a mixed race cast
shooting action movies and telling stories

Closing

inspiration
- as artist, always looking for the work that goes behind art that looks effortless, really impressed with Beyoncé's homecoming
surprising fact
- have a background that is not just film (eg. computer science degree)
principle
- the golden rule
closing notes
- always looking for people that could support the film and want to help - if that's you, reach out

Contact

Bao's website: http://pov-films.com/
Bao's email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tranquocbao/
Socials
- Twitter: @_thepapertigers
- Facebook: @ThePaperTigersMovie
- Instagram: @_thepapertigers