Pivoting from Rural NC to Tech Startup

I grew up in rural North Carolina. I had no engineering mentors. I had no entrepreneurial mentors. My parents are accountants and on the sliding scale of risk-taking versus playing-it-safe in a career, my hometown and upbringing was naturally more geared towards play-it-safe careers.

Looking back, it is interesting to realize how I pivoted from that upbringing to jumping into a risky tech startup. It is also interesting to see the primary factors that influenced my pivots. Here it is in a nutshell:

• I was good at math in high school. I asked a guidance counselor how you can make money with math. She said, “Be an engineer.” I asked her what kind of engineer. She said, “Electrical engineer,” and that was how I chose my major.
  • I had no idea what an electrical engineer was until I started taking courses at BYU. I had no clue what a circuit was before taking courses.
  • When I considered “computer science” instead of “electrical engineering,” my decision hinged on a vague notion that “engineers” make more money than “scientists” and had more stable careers.
• As an electrical engineer, I chose to focus my undergraduate work on analog integrated circuit design instead of digital integrated circuits and instead of software.
  • My decision was again a reflection of my desire to play-it-safe because the top professors at BYU were old analog circuit guys and gave off the distinct impression that digital integrated circuits and software were too new-fangled and not as tried-and-true as analog circuits. My main reason for coming to Georgia Tech was because GT is great at analog circuit design. Before arriving, I had given a verbal commitment to work with Professor Rincon-Mora.
• Leading up to graduate school, I was slowly introduced to the world of entrepreneurship by working part-time for a startup in Provo and through family.
  • I knew that starting companies in analog circuits was next to impossible, so I made my first “risky” leap and decided to leave my competitive edge in analog circuits behind to chart a new course in software. I ultimately studied computer vision for my PhD work.
• While at Georgia Tech, I kept looking for startup opportunities but was too busy initially to think about anything other than school.
  • Two years after arriving at Georgia Tech, a combination of two ingredients launched me into startups:  1) the TI:GER program, and 2) bright and talented lab mates that became my wonderful co-founders.

If I had it to do over again, I would have studied computer science in high school and undergrad. I would have tried to build products on the side as I went through school, using the skills I would have learned in those growing years.

Startup founders come from all walks of life; some are younger and some are older. Mine path was slower than I would have liked, and I’m grateful for the pivoting points along the way that pointed me in the right direction, especially entrepreneurial family, Georgia Tech, and the Atlanta area.

I’m also grateful for my upbringing that provided me with great grounding, all the important skills kids need to learn, and an even keel. That foundation provided me with a great basis from which to pivot into a startup career.

What steps did you take to pivot into entrepreneurship?