Free.TV I created the world's first DVR in 1998. I was so excited about it, I convinced my friends to join my startup. It was basically Tivo plus the Free PC

Free.TV I created the world's first DVR in 1998. I was so excited about it, I convinced my friends to join my startup. It was basically Tivo plus the Free PC and internet model. I was able to raise some funds from friends and family, but we all agreed to take less salary and have stock instead. We all worked hard, but the dot com bomb came along and killed all advertising partnerships. I was lucky enough that I was able to wind down gently - the company did not go bankrupt. It took years, but I was able to pay back all my friends that invested in Free.TV, but I personally lost hundereds of thousands of dollars. I learned a lot, but this set me back 10 years in my career and retirement. However, it did help me get the next level working for other companies. It was very stressful and hurt my marriage, but my wife stood by me and I know she is the one for me. I still love startups for today but now that I am older, I wonder if I am now in the famous "ageism" problem in SV. I still have great ideas and want to change the world - just need another VC to take another chance in me.