Eric Kuhn, 41, is the founder and CEO of FoundersCard, which offers networking opportunities, discounts, and perks for entrepreneurs and innovators. Since its founding at the end of 2009, FoundersCard, which is profitable, has been growing steadily--but more slowly than Kuhn might let it, since part of its value comes from its exclusivity.
How’d you get the idea for FoundersCard?
It was when I was on the roadshow for Varsity Books (his first company), which was going public, back in the Internet 1.0 days. The investment bankers were coordinating all the travel. Every night I stayed in a different city. I remember staying at amazing hotels: the Mandarin Oriental, the Four Seasons. I remember talking to (the bankers), asking, How much does this cost? It turned out they could travel in this kind of style because they received these incredible deals because of who their companies were. That struck me as odd, that it was the investment bankers--who leeched off the entrepreneurs, the value creators--that were getting these amazing benefits and rates. I thought it was the entrepreneurs and founders who should have this kind of access.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Fast Talk: How FoundersCard Brings Exclusivity To The Startup Set | Fast Company
