When you are working Online, sometimes you are forced to wear many hats. The hats of a content provider, designer, idea man, uncle, son and all around fun guy to be around. There is one man who chooses to wear his hats and wear them proudly. Heck, he’d probably like to get a few more hats before it is all said and done. That man is Jonathan Wold of The Startup Blog, Hostingfrog, and many other various projects he has started for himself.
The most shocking factor of it? He is only eighteen years old. I do have to say though these days it would seem that many more of the younger generation are taking the bull by the horns. Just look at Lockergnome’s own Brandon Watts for another good example. Even I get a few awkward glances and remarks when folks find out I’m only twenty two.
I recently had the chance to ask Jonathan a few questions about how he handles keeping all his ducks in a row. I have to say that he is one of the most insightful and interesting Web hosting entrepreneurs I have met.
Mitch: What made you want to get into the world of Web hosting?
Jonathan: It was an accident. It all started with my web design business. Once a site was done, I would send my clients off to this host or that and they’d be taken care of. After a few clients came back from trouble with their hosts, I felt somewhat responsible.
Whether it was poor tech support or something just not working, my hands were usually tied with what I was able to do for them. I also saw how much money was going the other way, a few hundred here and a few hundred there add up pretty quick. I decided that it can’t be that difficult and I got started!
So the “want” was to make sure that my customers were well taken care of and to eventually bring in some extra income. As I became more and more involved with the industry, beginning with the Startup Blog, I’ve developed a much stronger feel for it and subsequently, a much greater liking. Now, other than the delights of server trouble, it’s something I truly enjoy.
Mitch: Do you really believe the world of Web hosting is as cut throat and ruthless as some describe it as being?
Jonathan: If you’re playing the same game everyone else is playing, then yeah. I’ve had nothing but good experiences so far with my “competitors”. The people I’ve talked too have all been very helpful. No, they’re not going to tell me their all their “secrets”, and I’m not going to ask.. usually. I suspect that as Hostingfrog grows and becomes more of a frog to reckon with, my experience may change. I’m not getting caught up in the “price wars” and so that pulls me out of the average cut throat stuff.. ask me again in a few months.
Mitch: Where do you see your Web hosting company, Hostingfrog, five years down the line?
Jonathan: Five years? Wow.. maybe our Web site will be Online then! In five years, Hostingfrog will be its own business and my role with Hostingfrog will be to check up on it from time to time and make sure that the customers are always being very well taken care of. I would expect to spend another 1.5 – 2 years working the business myself, getting everything in place, creating all the systems, and then letting my baby run itself. The goal of any business that I build is that it will eventually run without me and I can move on to the next one.
Mitch: I’ve seen a lot of folks who after they start running their own Web hosting company pretty much cut off any contact with civilization. How are you planning on not getting too tied down and into your company while still being productive?
Jonathan: Sometimes I try to cut myself off from civilization! I set aside a few hours each day where I allow no contact whatsoever with the outside world and just focus on business. Other than that, I stay very connected. I take at least a day off of work each and every week, in which I have absolutely nothing scheduled and if I choose, I can just sleep. I rarely choose that though and usually make it a day to just get out. The weather is absolutely beautiful this time of year down in LA and I’m only a few blocks from the beach.. so while I’m here for the next few weeks I try to make the most of that.
Because of all the other projects that I’m involved with that require my time and attention, the greatest challenge for me has been balancing it all. More than a few times I’ve considered that perhaps I’ve taken on way too much, especially with Hostingfrog. So the trick is balancing my time each and every day. There will be days where some of my projects will go entirely neglected so that I can focus my energy on just two or three. The other night I spent 4 hours till past midnight, just writing away on the Hostingfrog business plan.
So my plan is to constantly stay balanced. To check up on myself and make sure that my efforts are being properly divided into the things that will make the greatest difference. Hostingfrog is one of those things right now and will be for probably the next year until I get to a point where less work is involved.
Mitch: When most kids are in college or flipping burgers, you are involved with several different projects. You’ve been known to push the factor when it comes for younger people to get involved with a passion at an early stage in life. Why is the idea of young entrepreneurs so important to you?
That is all for part one of this two part interview. Be sure to come back around tomorrow for the second half where I talk with Jonathan about Web hosting, the merging of his ideas, and a few other interesting topics.
Read part two of the interview!
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