April 5, 2016

Brian Gerrard, Founder

What made you choose to work in tech?

I wanted to be in tech because I want to revive the Black family, by making dating fun again with Bae.  Tech is the fastest way to get a product in consumers’ hands and helped Bae become the fastest growing app for people of color to meet, chat and date.

What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome that obstacle?

An obstacle I faced was changing my mindset not to rely on traditional methods of attaining knowledge.  Simply put, there is no school to learn how to run a startup.  I overcame it by taking risks and following my intuition

What is your experience being a POC in Tech?

I don’t let it box me in. It’s a fundamental part of my identity, not my potential.  

What was your perception of the tech industry before entering it, what is your perception now?

Before going into the tech industry, I did not realize how important relationships are to your business success.  It takes years to build a relationship with investors and mentors.  Start early!

What are three tips you can give to high school/college students who want to enter tech?

1. If you are non-technical, spend as much time with developers as possible.  Learn how they think!

2. Read the book, the Hard thing about hard things by Ben Horowitz.

3. Start saving now.  You will likely have to bootstrap your business at some point

Ruth Mesfun

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