A serial entrepreneur, Matt Mireles is the co-founder and CEO of The Oasis, a synthetic communication company. Hailing from a family steeped in social activism, outdoor adventuring, and professional climbing, Matt’s pursuit of big dreams on an exciting and high-risk path could be expected. Still, you’ll want to buckle in. Get ready for stories of being an EMT in the ghettos of Los Angeles, fighting forest fires while dropping in and out of UC Berkeley, and working as a 911 paramedic in the South Bronx and Harlem to pay for Columbia University and pursue professional journalism.
When Matt saw the internet coming to devour traditional media, he left The New York Times and headed to Silicon Valley to launch an internet startup-without any technology or business experience. Not surprisingly, earlier life experiences that required Matt to learn on the fly, wrestle with debt, and stomach success and failure proved valuable.
Matt successfully built his first company and sold it in 2012. A second startup failed, followed by several dark years. Finally, the third startup fulfilled the entrepreneurial dream of professional and financial success.
In this episode, Matt shares his journey from swashbuckling outsider to Silicon Valley insider teetering on the edge: Jobless, haunted by failure, and drowning in debt. His passion and frank vulnerability make this listen uniquely engaging, and his climb back from the dark days to jubilant success and freedom will have you cheering to hear more.
Favorite Moments
| Starting an internet company: 4:08 | Failing as an entrepreneur: 56:02 |
| This is the Old Man: 16:23 | Saying “NO way!” to another startup: 57:13 |
| Contemplating bankruptcy: 55:13 | Making his first million: 58:40 |
About Matt Mireles
The co-founder and CEO of The Oasis, a synthetic communications company, Matt Mireles is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and activist.
Through Guerrilla Capital, Mireles promotes equality and the goals of social activism by investing in startups whose success will benefit the bottom 90%.
Mireles co-founded Dishcraft Robotics, a company that makes dishwashing robots for restaurants that are powered by computer vision, machine learning, and cutting-edge mechanical engineering.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mireles worked as a journalist for The New York Times and as a 911 paramedic in the South Bronx and Harlem. He graduated with honors from Columbia University in New York City.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattmireles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmireles/