Dreamers: Got Ideas? (page 2 of 2)

Getting Ahead with Ben Kaufman

What was your first business?
When I was 12, I started BK Media—a really creative name. My mom was a product merchandiser. She'd created this huge point-of-purchase merchandising system for a cosmetics company that took six hours to set up. I said, "What if I make a video so you don't have to send people—you can just send the DVD showing how to install it?" I finagled my way into making all these videos for big companies and wound up making a ton of money.

Do people ask you for business advice?
Yes, and I don't necessarily like it. What I can give them is just this one piece: I can't tell you if your business is good, I can't tell you if your idea is good, but I can tell you that if you feel passionate about it, do it and don't be afraid to fail. In fact, failure should motivate you—that's what it does for me.

Why did you drop out of college your freshman year?
I learn a ton more on a daily basis here at Kluster and on the streets than I would in a classroom. I'd rather do it and fail, and do it again.

Do you have a business philosophy?
I'm a firm believer that you don't have to be the first or the only one—you just haveto be the best.

Will you get bored with Kluster?
Our investors have always worried about my short attention span. But when I pitched them, I said, "If we build Kluster correctly, any idea I have—for a business or a product—can be put through Kluster." That's what's cool about it.

How do you spend your downtime?
I'm a Facebook addict. I don't really understand the business, but I understand the product. I love the product.

Why are you so confident?
Confidence comes from not being afraid to fail. And when I do fail, I just say, Okay, I'll fix it.

From Reader's Digest - June 2008

 

• • Dreamers
• • Success Stories
• • Great Ideas

• Money Makers: The Will to Succeed
• Daniel Neal set out to solve his family's problem. He may have solved yours too.
• 
• Staying Number One
• Michael Dell built a successful computer business. What will it take to remain on top?
• 
• Dreamers: He Had a Hunch
• ...that ordinary people would want their own computer one day. Revolutionary!
• 

• Be Inspired
• Meet a 12-Year-Old Making a Difference
• Help Prevent Teen Car Crashes
• Meet 6 Incredible Individuals
• PLUS:
• Quiz: Match the Celebrity With the Cause

One of our regular patients at the counseling center had complained of hearing voices. So the doctor gave him medication. When the man came back for a follow-up, I asked if the prescription helped. "I don't know," he said. "Now I'm having hallucinations." "Well, make sure to tell the doctor so he can change the medication." "I don't know if I want to change," he joked. "Finally, I get to see who's talking to me."   

-- Barbara Allen