A little over 5 years ago I looked at my wife in the eyes and lied to her. “We’re controlling the risk, it’ll be a fun experiment. What’s the worst that can happen? We lose $1000?” Jason Stewart and I were going to fund our business account with about $1500 bucks so we could pay a designer to make nice proposals. A couple weeks later our EIN came in from NC and we were off and running. We had great jobs at a great company, but had the itch of entrepreneurship and wanted to build beautiful products that people actually need.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we actually bootstrapped a cashflow business starting with that tiny amount of money. We’ve grown significantly since and are no longer ignorant to the risks, long hours, stress, and financial investment that it takes to grow a company. We’ve gone through periods of celebration, and long months without paychecks. We’ve worked the 80+ hour weeks, had random whiskey-inspired rap battles in the office, and we still feel pride to come into the office with exceptional colleagues that build each other up on a daily basis.
"From the beginning, Jason and I knew that Anthroware's success depends on working with the best people..."
From the beginning, Jason and I knew that Anthroware's success depends on working with the best people — people who are not only smart and technically proficient, but who care deeply about what we stand for, care for each other, and care for the world around us. We also figured out quickly that our success also depends on working with the best partners. Our clients become our friends, and we’re so blessed to work with great teams that appreciate the innovative approach we bring to the table.
The struggles, celebrations, mistakes, and funny moments are the fiber that support our company’s culture. The last 5 years have humbled me, an imperfect leader. I’m looking forward to continued growth, new partners, new team members, and more stories.
Happy birthday Anthroware!
