Andrew Hutton: Bringing New Startups to Life
Hi folks! I’m Spiffy, your interplanetary journalist reporting from Planet Earth, back with a new guest. Andrew Hutton, founder and CEO of Day One, is committed to making a difference for entrepreneurs. Let’s see how he’s doing it!
Spiffy: Welcome Andrew! I’m excited to talk to you today! Let’s jump right in. Can you tell me what challenges you’re addressing through Day One?
Andrew: Thanks for having me, Spiffy. Millions of people are leaving traditional jobs to become entrepreneurs—whether it’s to launch a tech startup, a lawn mowing business, or to sell clothes on Depop. But no one is teaching or supporting these people—young and old, students and experienced professionals, and everyone in-between—as they make this shift.
Spiffy: Wow, that would make the entrepreneurship journey tricky. What motivated you to take on this challenge?
Andrew: I worked at a venture capital firm and met hundreds of entrepreneurs who were looking for help, but they weren't finding it. We weren't providing support and no one else was either. So I wanted to create an innovative new community that could sustainably support millions of new entrepreneurs.
Spiffy: Can you talk a bit about how you are working to make the world a more equitable place?
Andrew: Entrepreneurship is how we'll solve some of the world's biggest challenges and how we'll create jobs and opportunities for millions of people. Helping more people get started with a new business will only accelerate the good they are going to do in the world.
Spiffy: Have you reached any milestones that you’re really proud of?
Andrew: We just passed our one-year anniversary and in that year we've helped over 200 entrepreneurs launch new businesses. Now that we're kicking off our second year, we're raising capital, hiring amazing new employees, and expanding. Our goal is to support 1,000 new entrepreneurs this year.
Spiffy: Before we sign off, Andrew, can you tell me about an experience when you faced failure and didn't give up. What did you learn from failure?
Andrew: In the job I held before launching Day One, we launched almost a dozen startups and we faced the prospect of failure every day. Startups are by default dead and need to be brought to life, and we were constantly searching for innovative solutions, new customers, and doing the work to build something new.
Spiffy: It sounds like you’re bringing these new startups to life, Andrew. Thanks for taking the time to tell us how you’re doing it. It’s been a pleasure.
Andrew Hutton is the founder and CEO of Day One, a community that's supporting and educating entrepreneurs. (Nominated by Pathway Ventures. First published on the Ladderworks website on October 25, 2021.)
© 2021 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Jill Landis Jha. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. Follow Spiffy’s interviews of founders building a more equitable world here.