30th of September 2025

Ten Years After Leaving DealDash

When I was 15 years old, I launched a company from my childhood bedroom: DealDash. At the time, I had no connections, and no roadmap - just a computer, a stubborn belief, and the willingness to work harder than anyone I knew.

My parents really didn’t want me to drop out of school. They had both taken the responsible path - both highly educated, both working tirelessly to give me and my sisters the chance at a safe and stable life. They believed in finishing school and in university degrees. They sacrificed so that the three of us wouldn’t have to take unnecessary risks.

Instead, I used my savings made from building customer computers and buying YouTube channels (and inserting affiliate links) at my first company LyncusPC and rented a 100 square foot office in Otaniemi, Espoo near the university campus, a 40-minute bus ride from home. It was barely bigger than a closet. But I made that tiny room my life. I couldn’t afford a salary for myself, so I slept there at night, coding DealDash during the day, answering customer service emails late into the night, and coordinating shipments whenever I could fit it in.

Those early years were brutal. I skipped out on prom and every “normal” teenage milestone. I missed out on sports events, late-night hang outs and house parties. Instead, I lived on 100-hour work weeks, fueled by the fumes of my adrenaline, chasing down the dream of building something real. I wrote the software myself, spoke directly to Customers, handled Customer service tickets, operations, orders - everything. The lack of sleep compounded. My nights were short and restless, mornings came too quickly. Fatigue blurred the days together, but I kept pushing forward.

All this while, DealDash was competing in one of the fiercest markets imaginable. At its peak, there were over 1,200 direct competitors. Many were led by experienced teams—Stanford MBAs with tens of millions in funding from top-tier venture firms like Mayfield, August Capital, and Wellington Partners. I was just a teenager with no degree, no network, and no investors. I wasn’t the most experienced, and I certainly wasn’t the best funded. What I did have was a willingness to listen to Customers, work tirelessly, and keep going when things got difficult. Looking back, I think that persistence and focus on Customers mattered more than anything else.

It also wasn’t quick. It took me nearly 10 years of working full-time as an entrepreneur before I could finally exhale and feel that maybe, just maybe, I had built something that would last. And now, another 10 years later—this time spent on the other side of the table as an early-stage investor—I’m only beginning to put those lessons into words.

Looking back, the sacrifice was immense, but I don’t regret it. DealDash gave me purpose, identity and the foundation of everything that came after. That said: I wouldn’t recommend entrepreneurship to anyone. At least, not lightly. It asks more than most people can imagine, and even if you give it everything, there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed. For me, it was absolutely worth it. But it was also isolating, consuming, and at times, crushing.

Ten years have passed since I left DealDash. In that time, I’ve built a very different life. Through my firm, Trifecta, I’ve been able to invest in dozens of entrepreneurs and companies - supporting others who are taking the same leap I once did. I’ve seen the world from the other side: not just building, but backing, guiding, and cheering on founders in their journeys. Sometimes that means writing a check and providing guidance. Other times it’s far more hands-on. On one occasion, when a CEO burned out suddenly and investors were ready to pull out, I stepped in as interim CEO to stabilize the business and help save it.

Now, as a new father, I think about this differently. I’m roughly the same age my parents were when they had me - and I can understand their perspective a little better now. I don’t know if I would want my children to experience entrepreneurship the same way I did. It forged me, yes - but it also demanded sacrifices I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’m still surprised by how painful and lonely the journey can be at certain times. Maybe that’s the paradox: entrepreneurship gave me everything, yet I’d hesitate to encourage my children to take the same path.

When I think back, DealDash feels like both a lifetime ago and the spark that still drives me. The lessons I learned in that cramped office in Espoo - Customer obsession, resilience, resourcefulness, and relentless focus - have shaped everything I’ve done since.

If there’s one truth I’ve come to accept, it’s this: entrepreneurship is rarely glamorous, but it is always demanding. It consumes more than most people can imagine, and there are no guarantees. But it can also be absolutely transformative. I wouldn’t be who I am today without DealDash. And 10 years after leaving, I’m still grateful for the risks I took as that stubborn 15-year-old kid who decided to skip prom and bet everything on an idea.