To do the work you love, you’ve got to unlock a few doors. UNLOCKED Stories are honest conversations with people who chose a path and made it happen.
A note from Ellen: I’m excited to feature this interview with Dave Wang, co-founder and CEO of Striiv, Inc, a startup company that helps people to sleep better, exercise more, and stay on track with health and fitness goals.
If you’ve ever thought about launching your own business, creating an app, or developing a product that might make the world a better place, I know that Dave’s story will motivate you to keep marching. I especially love his final words of advice: “Don’t quit.” Doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Read on and enjoy…
What do you do?
[Dave]: I am the co-founder and CEO of Striiv, Inc.
We make a family of wristbands that encourage you to make healthy decisions throughout the day.
These devices link with your smartphone and can track your activity, sleep, and even give you alerts to calls, meetings, and goals you’re tracking.
My job is to make sure that we’re working strategically to bring Striiv products to as many customers as possible, have a good flow of cash coming in, and are growing a world-class team.
What were you doing before running Striiv?
[Dave]: I was heading up Marketing & Sales at a mobile gaming company called Booyah.
What is your favorite part about what you are doing now?
[Dave]: Running a startup is like carrying out dozens of experiments in real-time.
You gather as much data as you can in a very short amount of time, and with that you test multiple hypotheses along strategy, technology, management, and marketing.
Layered on top of this is a tremendous emotional and physical investment to make sure that every strategy is being carried out as effectively as possible, day in and day out.
My favorite part is seeing progress. Real progress that we can measure not only in “number of purchases,” but also in the impact we’re having on our customers’ lives.
I love to pause every so often and assess all the progress and changes that I’ve personally made — and see how that has amplified the company.
Least favorite part?
[Dave]: Trying to handle all the uncertainty and the toll it takes on my emotional and physical balance. It’s really hard when you’ve made commitments that you are struggling to hit, and when you have to make really tough decisions to keep moving forward.
When you’re having a difficult, exhausting or stressful day, how do you get through it?
[Dave]: Family. Coming home (or using my iPhone to facetime) with my wife and three kids is the ultimate decompressor after a brutal day. Knowing that there are no judgments — and just unconditional love — is incredible.
What has been the most challenging moment of your career so far?
[Dave]: The must brutal chapter of my career was the two rounds of layoffs I had to do several years ago at Striiv.
I brought in cash, hired great people, but the strategy and execution wasn’t right.
Looking at the people in the eye and letting them go was beyond painful.
The personal sense of failure and responsibility was overwhelming. On top of all of that, I had taken significant money from close friends and family that was all going down the drain. That was one of the lowest low points of my entire life.
How did you get through that “locked door” moment?
[Dave]: The thing about fear — fear of failure, fear of letting everyone down — is that it can drown you… if you let it.
During those lay offs, I almost drowned. But over time, I started to learn to swim in the fear — to control it and not let it consume me. I didn’t quit. I couldn’t quit. I stayed committed to my vision and slowly, over time, things began to tilt in the right direction.
Do you ever fantasize about having a totally different career? What would you do, in your fantasy-world?
[Dave]: In my fantasy world, I’d love to be a stand up comedian. I love being the center of attention and making people laugh!
Who are your personal heroes and role models?
[Dave]: Christopher Hitchens and Sean Carroll. Both have taken on very tough established beliefs / dogmas and have been incredible in their strategies for inspiring change.
Basically: I admire anyone who can communicate with an audience and really make those people think, “Maybe it’s time for me to behave / live / perceive the world differently.”
Inspiring people to change their minds — once their minds have already been made up — is pretty much the toughest job in the world. I have deep respect for anyone who has figured out how to do that. Inspiring positive change — on a personal and global level — is exactly what my team and I at Striiv aim to do, too.
What’s the next door that you need to unlock? (And what’s the plan?)
[Dave]: The next door for me after Striiv is a personal one.
I’m ready to dive deeper into projects that will really impact the trajectory of human society. I’m still searching for my “next chapter,” and still figuring out exactly what it’s going to look like, but I have a feeling I’ll be expanding outside of the ream of “health and wellness” gadgets into something even bigger. Stay tuned.
Last but not least: what’s your biggest piece of advice for anyone who wants to do amazing work in the world, stay motivated, and unlock major doors?
[Dave]: It won’t be easy — and you’re a lot less special than you think.
You may get really lucky and never, ever “fail,” but more likely than not you will need to experience unbelievable setbacks in order to reach great accomplishments.
Go online and find other entrepreneurs and leaders who are doing the kind of work you dream about doing — most of their stories are littered with challenges and failures.
You may experience crushing failure but you are not alone.
Don’t quit.
UNLOCK yourself
Three questions to think about, write about — or talk about with a friend.
1. After experiencing a stressful day at work, Dave says that coming home to his family is the “ultimate decompressor.”
: How do you unwind and refill your tank after a demanding day? What’s your go-to filling station?
2. Dave knows from personal experience that fear — especially fear of disappointing people — can drown you.
: Are you painfully afraid of disappointing others? How has that held you back in the past? How do you feel about that?
3. Dave’s final words of advice are brief and to the point: “Don’t quit.”
: What is a career goal, dream, or aspiration that feels very difficult? What is the potential cost if you continue to pursue it? What is the potential cost if you give up?
For more UNLOCKED interviews, click over here.
Know somebody that ought to be spotlighted? Write to me here.
See you next time for another inspiring conversation!