Startup Weekly 07/11/11 - Interview with Josh Friedman of Rumblefish

Ever feel peer pressure to be "normal"?  To NOT buck the trend?  NOT to rock the boat?  NOT be different?  Normalcy is anathema to all entrepreneurs, and definitely to serial entrepreneur Josh Friedman.

His gut always told him to go his own way and so he has, starting early in life.  In college, Josh owned a painting franchise operation, which taught him all the basics of stating and running a business.  Good start.  Nearing the end of his university studies in 1995, he was torn between technology and investment banking.  His gut said technology and away he went to Intel, meeting some great people who still influence his life greatly.  But the startup world beckoned and he soon found himself starting the business development organization at Tripwire, then a software startup. 

Outgrowing the situation in 2001, he founded Eleven Wireless, a leading software provider to the hotel industry.  He stays active in the company as a Director and in active non-operating roles.  After stepping down from Eleven, he then co-founded NedSpace, a co-working facility for entrepreneurs in Portland and started the Portland Seed Fund efforts with the City.  Now, he is leading the yet-to-be-launched new direction for Rumblefish, hand in hand with the company's founder.  Rumblefish has been a leader in the music licensing industry since its founding.

An impressive track record to be sure, but when you ask him how he could have done better, he says, "I made my biggest mistakes when I didn't trust my gut, so I always listen to it now.  Even if everybody else thinks differently, I make the decision that feels right."  Let all the "normal" people go along with the herd, we'll put our money on Josh any day.

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[kdbkk]

Could you ask him why his company routinely claims copyright infringement on other people's work? How they managed to get a copyright on the singing of birds?

[cthpike]

Strong idea man!