The Second Act - Magazine - Page 15
CATHY HAN
Co-founder & CEO, Levro
Next 36, 2011
Pictured: Cathy Han, at Breakout Startups on
centre stage during day three of Web Summit.
VENTURE DAY
Cathy Han, Co-founder, 42 Technologies on
stage at NEXT Canada's Venture Day in 2011
When she launched her first company,
she was fresh out of her undergrad, full
of ambition but light on experience.
In many ways, her reason for building
a startup was to learn how to build a
startup. The second time around, she
thought long and hard about where she
wanted to spend the next ten or more
years of her career.
"The difference was not just choosing
what we could build, but what we
thought needed to be built," she says.
"We're motivated by how we could use
all the skills and lessons we've learned to
create something of lasting value."
While she'll be the first to admit that she
still has a lot to learn about starting a
company (that's the alluring part about
a startup, after all), Han's experience
starting two businesses in the last decade
has given her a unique perspective that
she hopes will help other aspiring serial
entrepreneurs. Her first piece of advice?
Adjust your mindset.
"Startups are truly about the journey," she
says. "The common thing I've observed
about so many "successful" founders
is that despite having the means to, no
one is sitting on a beach. They're still
working on things they're passionate
about, whether a company, project, or
foundation. Take breaks. Celebrate wins
with the team along the way. Focus on
real rather than vanity metrics that sound
good but don't mean much."
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