Ben Parr
Author of Captivology & Partner at DominateFund. Previous Editor-at-Large of Mashable aged 24.
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Ben Parr
@benparr · Co-founder and CMO, Octane AI
Hi friends! I'm Ben Parr. I started out in the tech industry as a designer and content manager, but my big break was when I became Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable at 24. I wrote 2,400+ articles on technology before launching DominateFund, my venture capital fund which has backed great companies like uBeam and Shots. This year, HarperCollins released my first book, "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention". I'm also a columnist for Inc., a growth advisor to some of the world's largest brands, and a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30.
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Sarah Buhr
@sarahbuhr · Reporter, TechCrunch
When are we going to make that much talked about but never implemented alcohol brand "BuhrBen" hmmm?
Harry Stebbings
@harrystebbings · Podcast Host @ The Twenty Minute VC
@benparr thanks so much for joining us today. I would love to hear how was the process of starting DominateFund? How did you establish yourself, a new fund, as the 'smart money'? What is your branding strategy to attract high quality deal flow? Would love to have you on @twentyminutevc big fan after hearing you on @jason TWIST!
@harrystebbings First of all, would love to come on your show! To answer your question, it took some trial and error, but we found that it was our team's expertise in branding, marketing, press, and customer/user acquisition that made founders want to work with us, so we really started leveraging that. We specifically focus on our value add for founders and don't try to advertise services that others can do better.
In the end, it's a matter of making smart bets and adding value. And if you as a VC do that, you'll gain deal flow and meet more great entrepreneurs.
Hash_tag_jeff
@jeffumbro · Book Marketing and PR - get in touch
Hi @benparr - what was your biggest surprise when writing captivology?
@jeffumbro 1) How incredibly biased we are subconsciously. Red is a trigger that makes us more romantic. The heat of a hot coffee makes us more generous to other people. And the later in the day it is, the more harsh your decisions tend to become. Oh, and 2) HOW HARD IT IS TO WRITE A BOOK! :)
Ben Tossell
@bentossell · Community Lead, Product Hunt
@benparr Hey Ben! What was the writing process like?
How did you go from idea to published and what were the biggest obstacles you faced?
@bentossell The process for a book is totally different than a blog post or a news article. You have to write out the proposal with your concept. For me, it was months of research first before I even wrote the first word. Then it was a matter of finding the signal through the noise. I took two sabbaticals to write the book, I like to concentrate fully on big projects like that.
Emily Hodgins
@ems_hodge · Community and Marketing, Product Hunt
@benparr thanks for being here today 🙌 During your career to date, what has been your a) most challenging moment and how did you overcome it? b) proudest moment and why? c) most surprising moment?
@ems_hodge a) Admitting defeat with my first startup. I hadn't really experienced failure until that moment, and it was hard for me to grasp and overcome. It's about the mindset, though. You're going to fail as entrepreneurs -- it's about how you pick yourself back up and do something even better.
b) Recently? Launching Captivology. Writing a book was a life-long dream and I'm glad I was finally able to do it. It was 2 years of hard work.
c) The fact that I'm even here. I've gotten lucky, I've had great mentors, and I've done things lots of other people never get to do. I've had a crazy career.
Ryan Hoover
@rrhoover · Founder, Product Hunt
Ben! You win for best Product Hunt LIVE background image.
Your career is very diverse, from Mashable editor to investor to author to lederhosen model. What do you want to pursue next?
Sabrina Bruning
@internetsabrina · Community Manager, Mimoco
@benparr Out of everyone you spoke to in the book, who would you be most willing to consider switching lives with for a day?
@internetsabrina David Copperfield. No doubt. He was one of my favorite interviews and he is one of the fascinating people I know. I want to see the magic behind the curtain.
Daryna Kulya
@darynakulya · Product @ Vidyard | Product Hunt TO
@benparr Hi Ben! What are some of the habits you have developed throughout your career that have helped you become happier and more productive?
@darynakulya Always keeping to do lists based on Day, Week, Month, and Long-term. Always reviewing those to dos. Always realizing that very little HAS to be done at that moment. Working with great people who keep me on task. Having a personal wiki for my thoughts and my life. It's quite complex. :)