[quote style=”boxed”]Working with fun, hardworking people building cool stuff. Real conversations. Integrity when the chips are down.[/quote]
Andy Sack is a serial online entrepreneur and has over 15 years experience running and investing in high tech businesses.
Andy is Managing General Partner at Founder’s Co-op a seed stage super angel fund located in Seattle. He is also CEO of Lighter Capital, pioneers of RevenueLoan and Executive Director of TechStars in Seattle.
Prior to that, Andy was co-founder and CEO of Judy’s Book, a local search social networking site that raised 10.5 Million in venture financing from Mobius Ventures and Ignition Partners. Prior to founding Judy’s Book in 2004, Andy co-founded three successful Internet technology companies:
i) Kefta, which was acquired in 2007 by Axciom, was a leading provider of real time customer interaction solutions sold to big consumer companies like Overstock, Bank of America and IBM.
ii) Abuzz, which was acquired by NYT Digital in 1999. The company, was a software company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose products enabled enterprises to manage the expertise of their people. During his tenure as CEO, Abuzz Technologies was named number one in the Internet software category by Red Herring Magazine and the top company to work for by Boston Magazine
iii) Firefly Network, an Internet company that pioneered internet personalization technologies, and which was later acquired by Microsoft Corporation.
Andy received his undergraduate degree from Brown University in 1990. He received his MBA from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
Andy lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and 2 children.
What are you working on right now?
Improving the way entrepreneurs and business owners get capital for their business.
What does your typical day look like?
7AM Coffee. Meetings. Coffee. Meetings. Dinner with family. 8PM to midnight work. Bed.
3 trends that excite you?
Decreasing cost of starting technology businesses.
Proliferation of everything mobile and gaming.
Agile organization development.
Advancement of electrical cars.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Plant seeds. Try lots of stuff. Work with great people. See what grows and sticks.
What inspires you?
Working with fun, hardworking people building cool stuff. Real conversations. Integrity when the chips are down.
What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
Hard to pick just one.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Makers Mark delivery service.
What do you read every day? Why?
My email. I live in my email.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read, and why?
Tuesdays with Morrie. It’s about the meaning of life.
What is your favorite gadget, app or piece of software that helps you every day?
My nespresso coffee machine is my favorite gadget.
Who would you love to see interviewed on IdeaMensch?
Adam Schoenfeld. Because he’s a mensch and his business is kicking ass.
What would you do if you weren’t an investor or entrepreneur?
If I weren’t a technology entrepreneur or investor, I’d be a radio talk show host. Mostly because a professional basketball player is out of the question.
Are you a crier?
Yes. I’m a crier. I cry at movies, weddings, funerals and intimate conversations. It makes me feel alive to cry.
Connect :
blog: asack.typepad.com/
twitter: andysack
linked in:
[box size=”small” border=”full”]This interview was brought to you by Rohit Jain who works in business development. You can follow Rohit via his blog and on Twitter. [/box]
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.