Career Roadmap
Tim's work combines: Technology, Sports, and Building Things
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting and Finance
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Chief Executives:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Accounting and Finance
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Growing up in a blue-collar town, everyone assumed I'd take a factory job rather than go to college.
2.
I got a full academic scholarship to the University of Cincinnati.
3.
I started with a minor in computer science and left school as a programmer.
4.
I wrote computer audit programs for KPMG before moving into an operating role at Apple.
5.
Going to work for Apple was one of the defining moments in my life; they really invested in me.
6.
I wanted overseas experience, so Apple sent me to London to join the team developing e-trading.
7.
After that, I moved to Paris. I think my most valuable experiences were the ones I had overseas.
8.
I took my first CEO position at a small software company a few years ago.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
I don't think your product has long-term viability. I don't see the market opportunity. I don't see how you could scale this technology.
How I responded:
Learning how to deal with discouragement is crucial in the tech sphere, because you're going to hear it from venture capitalists all the time. You'll hear discouragement after just about every presentation you give, until you find that one person who believes in your vision and agrees to fund you. For example, I've raised 27 rounds of financing over the course of my career, which means I've probably given 150 presentations and been turned down 130 times. You have to be okay with that ratio!
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I came from a very blue-collar background in Cincinnati. Even my high school counselor assumed I'd get a factory job straight out of high school, rather than pursuing a degree. Luckily, I got a full academic scholarship and was able to go to UC.