[nickpatrick]

Great read, David. Thanks for sharing.

One thing that I'd be curious to learn that isn't covered in the write-up: How exactly did you learn all of this? You say "on the job," but can you elaborate? How knowledgeable were you when, say, you raised your first round of financing, and how much did investors help you through the process?

[dweekly]

I knew pretty close to nothing when I raised my first round of financing. I have been programming since the age of five (with an Apple II/c then!) and got my CS degree at Stanford, but I never had any formal business education. I started the company that became PBworks in 2003 after working for a large company (Legato, now part of EMC) and a smaller one (There.com, now defunct), as well as starting a non-profit called the California Community Colocation Project (also defunct, though our lasting contribution to mankind is OPG v. Diebold). So I've been at it for almost 8 years, which makes me somewhere between a "veteran" and a "long-in-the-tooth loser" depending on your worldview.

Investors did not help a lot in the education process, but I received mentorship (both formal and casual) that proved invaluable throughout the process. One of the reasons why I am passionate about mentoring startups is that a huge number of people gave me a hand - and an education - as I tried to figure out the whole thing.

If you get nothing else from this: get a good mentor or two. Silicon Valley is built on people helping people to a degree that just isn't common in the rest of the business world.

[chopsueyar]

I am very interested in the process of starting a non-profit with a technology focus.

Can you provide any information relating to your personal experiences with starting the California Colocation Project?