What's in a Name? Here's What's in Ours
Whenever we introduce our business as 82i, people inevitably ask us how we got our name, and what the ‘i’ in our logo stands for.
It all started with an idea.
Actually, it started with 1,000 of them.
In his previous role at a growth equity firm, our founder Jason Shapiro was tasked with interviewing and getting to know growing companies to see which of them might be primed for investment. While obviously most companies were not at the right stage of growth, Jason began to see common themes emerging from each entrepreneur to whom he spoke.
While their businesses ran the gamut across almost all sectors, the entrepreneurs themselves all displayed similar qualities that helped them find success:
- They were multi-talented. These entrepreneurs all understood that starting a business means wearing multiple hats – on any given day they had to focus on sales, marketing, strategy, development, and any other issues that arose without missing a beat.
- They were mindful. Each one of these entrepreneurs had a deep insight into people and the world around them. They stayed calm when things were challenging, and were able to read others supremely well. They often led with kindness, and that approach made them easy to speak to.
- They were engaged. No matter what their business, every single entrepreneur had committed 100% to making that business work, and to making it grow. You could feel their drive – they ate, slept, and breathed their business at every turn.
Above all else, though, entrepreneurs have ideas.
And every entrepreneur is motivated by the power of an idea. Whether they’re doing something better, doing something differently, or trying to change the whole world, those ideas are at the heart of their business. That idea is usually the first thing in their head when they wake up in the morning and the last thing that they think about when they fall asleep at night (often still at their desks).
Ideas are powerful, and entrepreneurs are experts at harnessing that power. Where most people might have an idea for a business and then quickly dismiss its actual potential for success, entrepreneurs dig in and don’t let go. They see obstacles simply as roadblocks to be overcome. While most people with an idea shy away after rejection, entrepreneurs just keep moving forward.
Jason knew that his next venture needed this same energy. He’d spent years in his career being motivated by the entrepreneurs that he worked with, and now he knew that he needed to become one.
In his brainstorming, he started to write out a list of ideas about entrepreneurship, and ways that he could help entrepreneurs going forward. First there was one idea, then two, then five, and then ten. Eventually the list kept growing as he recalled the various drops of wisdom that he had gleaned from so many founders.
Eventually, Jason finished his list. The grand total? 82 ideas.
Jason quickly realized that rather than build a better mousetrap himself, he was in a far better position to support those brave builders on their entrepreneurial journey, and decided to build his own venture where he could actively help them grow.
Thus, 82i was born. Our focus is to offer entrepreneurs the strategic advice as well as hands-on support that they need to grow, whether through our investment readiness program as they embark on the search for funding, or through our strategic leadership services to help fill in the gaps in an organization as it grows.
We’re 82i, and we’re committed to make entrepreneurship easier for founders with amazing ideas. After all, ideas change the world.