Dan Busby
Two Bit Circus
Los Angeles, CA USA
"Starving artists produce better artwork than artists with a full belly...you have to take a leap of faith and try something difficult."
Career Roadmap
Dan's work combines: Engineering, Design, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
No one ever explicitly told me not to quit my day job or tried to hold me back, but there was definitely doubt surrounding my decision. It was a scary moment, but I had to get out of my comfort zone.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Physics, General
Louisiana State University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Grew up just outside of New Orleans, LA.
2.
Attended Louisiana State University where he received his degree in physics.
3.
After graduation, he moved out to California to attend CalTech in order to pursue his master’s degree in physics.
4.
He ended up dropping out before completing the degree—even though he loved the subject, he admits, “I was probably a little in over my head.”
5.
He worked various “odd” jobs including designing, building, and testing fuel cells and electric car components.
6.
Eventually, he decided to quit his day job and use his love of physics and engineering to do something more fun.
7.
In 2009, he became a founding member of Syyn Labs, which became best known for helping the band OK Go build a Rube Goldberg Machine for their music video “This Too Shall Pass.”
8.
Later, he and a small group of engineers from this company created Two Bit Circus, which engineers new forms of entertainment by fusing science, technology, and creativity.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You're going to quit your day job to pursue this? Ok...good luck.
How I responded:
No one ever explicitly told me not to quit my day job or tried to hold me back, but there was definitely doubt surrounding my decision. It was a scary moment, but I had to get out of my comfort zone.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
There have been several moments where I took a leap of faith. Quitting my day job was one. Financial struggles are a given.
I'm dyslexic. I haven't gotten over it, but rather I've learned what my strengths are and have played to them.
I started a Master's degree program in physics but didn't end up finishing it. Physics is really challenging and I just realized I was in way over my head.