Quote: “Success is born out of activity.”

In this episode of the Ignite Podcast, Michael Waitze is joined by Colm Hayden, the founder of Cadoo, a consumer service company dedicated in making financial incentives work to help people reach their goals. They discussed Colm’s crypto career, his interest in blockchain technology and bitcoin, as well as his experience as a young entrepreneur in the tech industry.

Becoming The Crypto Career Kid

“I was the bitcoin kid in highschool,” said Colm. 

Being born and raised in Berkley, California, “the heart of Silicon valley,” Colm was constantly exposed to the world of tech. He received an abundance of opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship, early stage companies and how to prosper and grow into the world of tech and digital-driven industries.  

He explained to Michael that his fascination with bitcoins and crypto currency started as a serendipitous accident. After finding out about this new type of digital asset from a senior who had joked about hacking in highschool, Colm fell down the rabbit-hole of bitcoin technology. 

How to Credentialize Yourself

“In business, you can become your own credential.” 

Growing up, we are generally told that it is important to go to college, and that getting a higher education to receive college a credential is the only path to success. But as times have changed, more paths have emerged and people are starting to create their own credential. 

Yet, there is still an unacknowledged pressure to go to college. However, Colm was never a “brainiac” and his grades held him back from his dream colleges. As he watched his friends enter the new chapter of their lives at places like UC Berkeley and Stanford, he felt like his unfortunate fate would be sealed shortly. 

But as Michael said, “success is born out of activity,” and this was especially the case for Colm. They discussed what led Colm to that final decision of not going to college, his experience of taking this alternative path, and what he learned from hustling through countless internships. 

Being a Young Founder

“Making a business at this young of an age shouldn’t be about the money. It should be about the connection and experience you get, because that’s really what’s going to help you out in the long-run,” Colm stated.

To learn more about Colm Hayden and how he became a young entrepreneur, listen to this episode of the Ignite Podcast today.

This episode was expertly edited and produced by Alanis Braun. You can see her portfolio here and her LinkedIn profile here.