Emil Barr started Step Up Social from his dorm at Miami University during his 2021 and 2022 sophomore and junior years. He worked intensely, averaging three-and-a-half hours of sleep per night, skipping classes, outsourcing nonessential tasks, and gaining 80 pounds. He pursued a goal of becoming a billionaire by age 30. Step Up Social was worth $15 million at exit, and his second company, the employee upskilling platform Flashpass, is valued at $50 million. His verified net worth exceeds $25 million. He continues to work long hours but has optimized his life to spend more time with family.
"When I wrote that maintaining a work-life balance will keep you mediocre in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in August, I didn't think my views were that controversial. I built my first company, Step Up Social, from my dorm room during my 2021 and 2022 sophomore and junior years at Miami University. I received thousands of comments beneath the article and on social media on the three-and-a-half hours I slept on average each night, the classes I skipped, the friends I lost, and how I outsourced everything nonessential, including cooking food, meaning I gained 80 pounds."
"It was all so I could spend as much time as possible on my company, and get closer to achieving my goal of being a billionaire by age 30. Step Up Social was worth $15 million when I exited last year, and my second business, the employee upskilling platform Flashpass, is now valued at $50 million."
"What really surprised me was how negatively many people reacted. Some called me crazy, which I took as a compliment, as I've always been a bit weird. Others thought I was a jerk because I suggested they weren't making money because they weren't working hard enough."
Read at Business Insider
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