The Story Of Mint - How Mint Went From Garage To $170 Million

Going from garage to being sold for $170 million dollars in only a few short years is in itself an amazing story. However this post isn't meant to dazzle you with tales of huge company buyouts. This post is about providing insight into the formation and progression of a start up. The video features Mint CEO Aaron Patzer who is a self proclaimed recovering nerd. The video is kind of geared towards a tech audience but there are many lessons that transcend the type of business you are creating that I am sure will be valuable to BadskiBlog readers. At first I really enjoyed the video because it had great insight into start up challenges and the different stages of the formation of a company. Patzer focuses on cash flow and funding which are the lifeblood of a business and he offers up lessons learned and real life Mint examples. The part that got me going about this presentation was the personal side of the entrepreneur. Patzer opens up and gives a glimpse into his own personal journey through Mint's creation.

"It has been something that has been transformative for me" - CEO Aaron Patzer

Patzer goes on to say that it (the creation of a company) does for you beyond money is very gratifying. Something that really resonated with me was when he said to create something from nothing is the essence of human progress. I think people like myself who are drawn intuitively to business and entrepreneurship are really drawn to create. If I was even remotely handy I could see myself never entering a classroom again and doing some form of construction and loving it. However, I think my own personal journey will have me create more with my mind than my hands. To me that is where the video was really valuable. It was just an awesome look into the journey of the person and the struggle through the self doubts etc.

I am a user of Mint and I recommend it to everyone when we get on the topic of personal finance. I highly recommend you use it as well. As far as free goes on the internet this site may be the best there is. I have been using it for a few years now and I have seen the features grow and expand and I think it is a must have in your internet favorites for anyone who is looking for transparency in where your money actually goes, how your investments are actually doing, and what your net worth actually is. Enjoy the video and start using the site.

Mint CEO Aaron Patzer on Startups from Techcrunch on Vimeo.

From Stock Broker To Pizza Delivery Man

I read this article a few days ago and I knew I had to blog about it. I love this article because it affirms my definition of being rich. Here is this larger than life stockbroker who at one point in time was making more that $750,000 a year, had all the toys and the big house, yet he is broke within 3 years once his income stops coming in. I don't want to make it sound like I am relishing in someone else's pain because I am not. However, I think that his story is an excellent illustration of how the conventional definition of rich is flawed. Making $750,000 a year does you no good if you have $751,000 going out the door. It is all about managing you cash flow and making the surplus of cash coming in work for you through various investment vehicles. I think it is ironic that Ken was paid very handsomely for managing other people's money yet it took him becoming a pizza man making $7 an hour to learn to manage his own. Take note of this lesson and don't fall into the consumerist trap of upping your lifestyle faster than your income, it's not realistic for one and it surely won't make you happy in the long run.