Favorite Parts of Working in the Startup Industry as a Cofounder
Aaron, Cofounder/CEO/CFO at Unconventional Ventures, enjoys the constant problem-solving aspect of the industry, stating, "I love building things...I'm a good fixer. I'm a good problem identifier." This passion is fueled by working with startups facing novel challenges, a deliberate focus as Aaron only supports businesses from "idea to, you know, five to 10 [million in revenue]" because "those needs, those problems, those interests, those are the things that captivate me."
Problem Solving, Building New Ventures, Early Stage Companies, Strategic Thinking, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Aaron Chavez
Cofounder/CEO/CFO
Unconventional Ventures
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey | Barrett
Finance
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Business Strategy
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Enjoys building and fixing things: Despite not being traditionally creative, Aaron excels at identifying and solving problems, finding it intuitive to address challenges and develop solutions.
2. Deals with a variety of problems: Aaron's industry exposes him to a wide range of problems, from big and serious to small and random, providing constant opportunities to exercise his problem-solving skills.
3. Focuses on early-stage businesses: Aaron concentrates on businesses in the idea to $5-10 million revenue range because the problems and needs of these early-stage ventures are particularly captivating to him.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
I love building things, as plain, simple, and silly as that sounds. I was never a fan of Legos, which is hilarious. I'm just not creative like that, but I'm a good fixer.
I'm a good problem identifier, not just a critic. I see a problem and think, "Could we do this?" I see that problem and ask, "What if we did that?" It's a very natural, intuitive thing for me.
In my industry, I'm presented with big, serious, small, and random problems all day long. About 51% of my day is execution work, and 49% is solving problems. This is because I work with people building brand new things, which means they run into brand new problems in brand new spaces.
I feel like I get this constant benefit of working a muscle that most people never work. I've worked it every single day, like crazy. But I also understand there's a give and take. As amazing as this is, you also have to balance a lot and understand your focus.
There's a reason I don't service businesses that make $25 million a year in revenue. I focus on the stage from idea to five to ten million, because those needs, those problems, those interests are what captivate me.