So I admit I’m rough around the edges and can be tough to work with sometimes. I don’t let people get away with bullshit. I’m sorry I don’t like bullshit, dogshit maybe but not bullshit! Some people don’t appreciate that. Also, i always make an ass out of myself over email but still…i’m just Richie. I may be rough but i’m always more than fair and always willing to lend a hand and help people. I just wish people would reciprocate more.
When i meet people i never immediately tell them what I do. I do this for a few reasons. First i don’t like to get down to business. It sounds funny but its the way networking works in most other cultures. I like to get to know the person before i discuss specifics. Because the second you start talking specifics you have the ability to offend the person and screw over your personal relationship, especially if you’re trying to sell something. I also won’t work with anyone i’m not friends with so thats my weeder. If i can make friends with a person I’ll work with them, if i can’t, I won’t. It’s that simple. Life is too short to waste on people you don’t like to be around.
Then i always ask about what they want to do, their goals, dreams etc…if they are happy etc..then i find out about what they do and start offering ideas/suggestions and to make introductions to people that can help them (I call this The Theory of Overwhelming Generosity) So by the time i get to talking about myself, it doesn’t make a difference what i do, i will already be friendly with the person and earned their trust by proving my worth.
But to the question of what I do…
I do a lot. I usually say I’m a startup junkie and help architect startups. I also always mention that i run a seed capital group and a non profit. Beyond that i target what i say to my audience and what i think will resonate. simple eh?
I figured i’d share a list of my projects. Yes, I have ADHD but as an excuse just about every entrepreneur and investor has ADHD to. After all, how can you possibly invest in 23 companies without having some form of ADD or ADHD? In fact i’ve never met an investor that doesn’t have this blessed disease 
I’m thankful for having it, it allows me to multi-task like crazy and unleash my creativity on the fly.
1) TakesAllTypes.org - my facebook non profit
2) AdSolutia.com - the future of online advertising (about to start raising a big round)
3) Jwed.com/Frumster.com/Shoes! Facebook application. I’m doing some consulting and have an equity stake in Frumster.com, the largest jewish dating site for marriage (i also have the title of Chief Marriage Officer which i just love), Jwed.com - an upstart jdate competitor and Shoes! which is a community of 300,000 rabid female shoe lovers on facebook. (i’m getting to test out a pile of new advertising and monetization techniques and probably and know a crapload about making money on facebook now)
4) GeekPlease.com - the web’s first web2.0 it support community built off of my friends amazing remote access technology. I set the strategy, came up with the name, architected the product and marketing strategy and built the team. I have an equity stake and an advisory role.
5) GeneralATM.com - i’m an advisor to generalatm.com, the fastest growing ATM company in NYC.
6) Facebook app development. I have several investment in various facebook applications. I happen to know how to make money from them so I will be building more and looking to acquire them.
7) BootStrapper.com - relaunching this site as a blog portal and a pile of other related sites for entrepreneurs
SeedingIt.com - my seed capital networking group. We do a monthly brainstorming sessions for entrepreneurs and a monthly happy hour. All invite only.
9) HotUpping.com - stealth startup, investor, cofounder, strategist
10) Adviser to a bunch of other random startups
11) Financiering - currently helping secure funding for several startups and films
12) Substitute Media - helping create a holding company to acquire social media properties, facebook apps and other community websites that are not properly monetized or managed. Also looking at unique alternative advertising opportunities. This will launch in the next 3-4 months. Also will be doing seed investing in social media properties.
13) MediaWhen.cm - stealth startup still in idea incubation phase but with very heavy players, if we do it, has the potential to revolutionize the way people look at media at home.
14) VC Fund - still in stealth, should launch by end of Q1 08. This will be a small unique fund playing upon my network and that of the other founders.
Those of you that know me, know that I don’t pretend to make any sense. I still don’t get myself. The last few months have been surreal, my network keeps growing and i’m fairly well known in the startup community and I really didn’t do so much to get there.
My seed capital group is growing, Sun is sponsoring it and we are launching the Happy Hour Series with The Hatchery & Tri-State Ventures. I’m also looking into throwing a large fancy startup forum sometime in the next few months, exact opposite of my campy informal activities so we’ll see.
I’m working with Frumster & Shoes! Application on facebook to help grow, monetize and finance them.
AdSolutia is generating $2,000 a day in revenue but breaking even and causing stress because leads suck and our technology has issues, one of my clients is screwing me etc…so in general its unpleasant. My demos are almost ready so I can start pitching it around and hopefully can raise money. I think I have a decent shot at it, a lot of people are interested. Our AI is pretty sweet. I also just bought an email marketing company with 400k in revenue and a pile of data. Hopefully we can generate some cash off of it in January. That would be pretty sweet.
I’m informally advising probably a dozen startups in random ways and HotUpping is still in development, we have TakesAllTypes in dev and should launch in January and a few other random things working their way out - Davis’ app may go somewhere if he gets his act together and relaunching bootstrapper and a pile of startup related sites in the next few months that i think could be fun.
I was thinking of working on financing for startups as a business but i just don’t see enough interesting startups that i dont think i can make money from it. Also the whole broker/dealer thing, which i can probably solve. I Still want to get the call center deal done, that would be awesome, been 4-5 months already, that deal would open so many doors if i can take control of a 1500 seat call center company. I can grow the crap out of it.
So people ask me all the time who i am and what i’m about…so here’s the rundown for my readers:
First let get the generic stuff out of the way. I’m young, I’ve been working since I was like 13 and running my own companies since I was 15. I Started a company out of an AOL account and no phone and a year later had an office and employees, I thought I was the man. I was reality just an arrogant 16 year old. What can you do? Thus is life. I’ve made some huge mistakes, I’ve built 2 nice sized multi-million dollar companies, one of them was probably worth at its height $100,000,000 - and that’s based on actual sales contracts that i brought in myself - not eyeball mumbo jumbo - and then i blew it up - what actually happened you can find my old posts but suffice it to say, I fixed the problems, sold and got out - though I lost some hair. No I didn’t get the huge exit everyone assumes I did. I could have though I had offers to sell the company for more - but i was honest. It’s alright, I did fine and I’d still be an arrogant prick if i did - instead of humble and down to earth. In the grand scheme of things I’m happier now as a normal guy that i would have been as a crazy rich arrogant prick of a kid. What do you think?
Since then, i’ve done a bunch of stuff, consulted for a lot of people, helped lots of people start companies, produced a tv pilot and made some dumb investments. I also started a company out of revenge - the worst reason to do it - and of course it failed.
Where am I now? I run an online ad company that i’m about to embark on the process of raising a huge round of capital. And you know what - I think i can. And no i’ve never had a public exit or even taking on a dime of outside capital. We’ll that’s not true - I took on partners on a few ventures all at once and my developers didn’t come through and the projects went up in smoke - so i took the losses myself and paid my partners back out of my pocket.
I just think i can because i have a great fucking idea, great team, tech and i know how to sell myself. I can market the crap out of myself and can network like a frog can jump on lilly pads.
My life story can be seen online at www.richhecker.com. It is the worlds’ only animated life story and resume. I have my own cartoon - who else can say that? Not trying to be arrogant - it’s just how i market myself.
Whenever i get into a new situation, I either stand out or never come back. I have no middle. I either take on responsibility or leave - i don’t just go to events, I host them.
I love building things, I love playing sports and martial arts and i have a tick because i have a pinched nerve in my neck from not stretching properly - stretch or pay the price.
My body feels like its 40 but i have the happy go lucky attitude of a 12 year old - and the experience of a director of a fortune 500 company. I know my shit. I can position things very well and i can come up with ideas on the spot. GIve me a problem and a day and i’ll give you a solution. It comes natural to me but i suck at math - go figure.
My memory sucks - it used to be great, i used to be able to memorize entire pages, now you’re lucky if i know your name. I say its from growing wiser. if you are wise, you dont have to be smart. i’ve blogged on this too. just know how to apply other peoples smarts. The truth is its probably from a mixture of over memorizing shit in school, too much alcohol in college and getting hit in the head too many times in martial arts training. Full contact martial arts can do that to you. WHat can i say? I’m happy.
I believe in karma. Good karma. lots of good karma. I love helping people. Yes i dont mind helping people without getting anything in return. If you ask me to help i will try to help you. In fact I’m flattered you thought to ask me. I will not turn you down if its reasonable and your a good person. If your not a good person - get lost.
I will give free advice to any entrepreneur that asks. That’s right - just ask. If you are funded though id like something for it - because you can afford it but if you cant afford me - i dont cost anything - i’m like the blue chip $5000 hooker that works free for homeless people - shes just a nice person at heart.
I love connected people and creating relationships. If i can create a friendship i am happy. It means i added value to peoples lives. I like adding value. It gives me a sense of self -worth. Making a lot of money is nice but adding value to people is better. It makes you feel secure. I don’t need to be worth $10BN and a meglomaniac to be content - as long as i add value of course id love $10BN. I’d take half of it and solve a world problem and live like a king with other half.
I’d rather help people than profit at their demise - though occassionally even i admit its necessary. Some companies are meant to go bankrupt - bad management is bad management.
I don’t believe in subsidies, please eat what they kill. Add value or get lost. Leech and leave me alone.
Since I was little people have told me i’m special, some in nice ways, others not. you see i have no middle i was a space cadet in school and socially awkward. now i’m a social butterfly. i love being social because i was a geek when i was little. yes i admit it. Revenge of the nerds eh?
i am blunt - i say things people disagree with and dont like - ocassionally i brag - im sorry when i do, im working on it. I also get excited too fast. It’s a habit, i’m sorry.
So what else do you want to know?
