[quote style=”boxed”]It took me a few years to realize that success is all in the execution. I spent too much time reading guides and watching tutorial videos instead of getting my hands really dirty.[/quote]
Josh is an online marketer and serial entrepreneur. He has been launching successful businesses since he became a teenager. After teaching himself web design at the age of 13, he started his first business–naturally, selling websites. Since then, he has co-founded several successful businesses both offline and online. He currently manages two companies: Been Evaluated and Foresold Digital Marketing. Josh is also studying computer information systems at Arizona State’s business school full-time. Moreover, he currently holds a 4.0 GPA and graduated as Valedictorian of his high school last year. He is the first person in his family to graduate high school and start a business, and he carries a very powerful drive and genuine passion.
BeenEvaluated was invented by three Internet addicts who became fed up with the grossly inaccurate website calculators available on the web. In 2012, they set out to build a tool that would actually serve a purpose. Google set out to index every webpage online, and BeenEvaluated set out to evaluate every website online.
What are you working on right now?
BeenEvaluated.com is an online tool and service for valuing websites. Just type in your website URL and our web application will calculate an estimated value for your website.
Where did the idea for product come from?
I became sick of all the other website value calculator websites, so that’s when the idea for BeenEvaluated.com was born.
What does your typical day look like?
At 8:00 a.m. I wake up and shower. At 9:00 it’s time for espresso shots and some breakfast. At 10:00, I go through all of my email. At 11:00 I start to work on project(s). At 2:00 I take a break, go for a swim and eat lunch. At 4:00 I work some more and jam out to dubstep. Dinner is at 6:00 and by 8:00 I hop on Skype chat with partners. At 10:00 I check email and finish up work. Then finally, at 11:00 p.m. I watch a movie or just relax (troll on Facebook).
How do you bring ideas to life?
Instead of stressing over minute details, we put them on the back-burner until we launch an MVP (minimum viable product). Then, we try to get as much feedback as possible to help the development of our products. We always want to make sure we are helping to solve our customers’ problems. We didn’t set out to be the most complex product on Earth. Instead, we want the provide the best quality products that are easy to use.
So, stop worrying about all the features you want to add and get out an initial product for your market to play with. Then, you’ll quickly realize what you are doing right and/or wrong.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I am super excited about the growth of the mobile phone market over the past 10 years, especially in regards to smart phones. As an active mobile advertiser, I see many opportunities to capitalize on this growth. Just like any emerging market, there are lots of opportunities to take advantage of and lots of risks that come with being the pioneer. To me, taking huge risks can be exciting.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
I’ve never worked in the fast food industry, or as a cashier anywhere, but I still have had some issues in business. I’m getting better at this, but I still assist with some small consulting projects that are run by sour people. I’m getting better at detecting who I should be working with and who I shouldn’t be working with. It’s all a learning process. Just like with anything, you want to be careful where you devote your time.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
It took me a few years to realize that success is all in the execution. I spent too much time reading guides and watching tutorial videos instead of getting my hands really dirty.
Also, I would try not to be so conscious of my age early on. I really started with the Internet around the age of 13 years old, but I was terrified of people finding out how young I was, so that held me back from a lot of opportunities.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I am learning to say “no” a lot more often. Your business is like a new-born baby; it will require almost all of your time and thought. Saying “yes” to things that don’t contribute to the life and success of your business will make you miserable. Plus, your business will suffer. Learn to say “no” now. It’s one of the best things I’ve [almost] learned.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I’m a fanatic when it comes to good coffee. So, I got all giddy when I saw this video. I would be your first customer if you created something that cool. Other than that, a pill that allows a person to properly function on just one hour of sleep each night would be phenomenal. I’m not sure how it would work, but hey, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to sleep for just one hour without suffering the consequences?
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I would change the time we have in a day. I would do this by creating the pill I spoke about in the previous question.
Tell us a secret.
I started my career in online advertising after publishing my music and hip-hop beats online. I figured out a way to tell people about my music, and then turned that into a business in the 9th grade. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on the Internet.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
- SEMrush is great for PPC research.
- ClickTale and CrazyEgg; I love heatmaps.
- Gaug.es is a very simple online analytics web app.
As you can tell, I am really into analytics.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf. It’s an amazing book that inspired books like The Lean Startup and many others.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
- @ralphmarston is great for daily motivation.
- @forbes. Keep refreshing to check when you’re on the list.
- @mashable. Stay up-to-date on the newest tech/social media news.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
I laugh a lot. So, it’s pretty easy to get me to laugh. Recently, these Bad Luck Brian internet memes have me weak.
Who is your hero?
Elon Musk is an inspiration. I’m trying to get to that level.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by results. I am a work-a-holic, but I love what I do. I get to wake up each morning and work on something new. Sixteen-hour work days fly by when I’m building advertising campaigns or getting the word out about BeenEvaluated.com. I keep working until I reach results, whether that means a finished design, breaking 1,000 unique visitors, or hitting a certain financial goal.
What is one of your hobbies besides working online?
I am a movie buff. I love to watch movies, and I’ve seen just about every movie out right now. It’s a great way for me to take a break from work and lose myself in a good plot.
Connect:
Joshua Elizetxe on Twitter: @elizetxe
BeenEvaluated’s website:
Foresold’s website:
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.