"Bend"ing Rules -- Gabe Ayers, founder of Apricity, bootstrapped his services company that eventually pivots to a product offering, which ultimately finds a successful exit.

Intro: We all have heard war stories on starting companies, but it's even tougher (on some level) if you have take on all the risk yourself. That's what Gabe Ayers did when he bootstrapped Apricity from a company of one (1) to a company of twenty-five (25), before ultimately realizing his exit. Gabe shares how from a young age he connected "ideas" to product/revenue, including at the young age of fifteen (15) when he founded a web services company that helped finance his college education. Everyone can expect to be aided by luck and perhaps unknown forces in their journeys, Gabe shares how a chance encounter lead to his employment at MIT/Lincoln Labs and ultimately how he transitioned to start his own consulting company. What I recognized in Gabe as a superpower was knowing when to "pivot," can elevate not only one's chances of longevity, but that ultimately it might be necessary to a successful outcome. 2:01 -- Gabe's origins of entrepreneurism 5:25 -- Learning the value of "boostrapping" at a young age 8:22 -- Roam Devices, Gabe's latest endeavor. Importance of adoption at any stage of a business. 13:10 -- Why we all should pay attention to "chance" encounters. 20:00-- Humble beginnings. Bootstrapping to success. How to de-risk a shift from core business. 25:34 -- When to pivot. 30:45 -- Leveraging Customers to finance your idea (self-funding and building goodwill with customers). 47:42 --- Challenge of selling hardware products. 58:24 -- Importance of nailing "culture" 104:11 -- When getting acquired is "not" on the radar, but recognizing "timing" is everything as Apricity is acquired in 2021. 119:12 --- Gabe's top traits for success