

From Drug Trafficker to Start-Up CEO  - benry
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/12/19/from-drug-trafficker-to-start-up-ceo/

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wdaher
You might also like this answer on Quora: [http://www.quora.com/Whats-it-like-
to-be-a-drug-dealer/answe...](http://www.quora.com/Whats-it-like-to-be-a-drug-
dealer/answers/597689)

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veb
That was an amazing read. I chuckled at this bit though:

"But selling drugs was the best preparation I could have asked for, entering
the real world. Now equipped to handle situations that it takes others years
to prepare for. More than anything, selling drugs taught me to believe in
myself and what I’m capable of. It taught me to trust my instincts and how to
make difficult decisions."

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tomblomfield
I've worked with Duane & the guys at Kashflow - they've built a great
business. Congratulations!

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3pt14159
I know a founder that used to move drugs, lots of drugs. Got caught threw
himself at the mercy of the court. He's doing well now, but the judge was
basically like "this is your only chance".

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monochromatic
Sounds like something out of a recent Neal Stephenson book...

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billpatrianakos
Damn, I feel for this guy and it makes me proud. I know from experience how
hard that situation can be. I'm a recovering addict and I've been to jail.
Luckily I completed a treatment program that allowed me to have my record
expunged. But the criminal record isn't the only thing standing in your way.
There's a whole host of issues having that sort of path brings with it that
aren't obvious. In my case it was the debts I incurred while addicted (it's
amazing what bills you decide aren't important to pay and how you use credit
when you're an addict) that ruined my credit and have forced me to do things
without funding. In Duane's case I'm sure there's some sort of past following
him besides his record. I'm willing to bet his former "colleagues" in the gang
come around to try to mooch or shake him down from time to time. That's just a
thought and my only evidence is my knowledge of how that world works but
hopefully his old buddies really are gone forever.

I think the message to this story should be less about "if a dealer can do it,
so can you" and more about trying to figure out what it really was that
sparked the change in Duane ans try to apply it to other convicts, especially
in the US where the prisons are overcrowded and we just don't see much of any
real reforms out of prisoners who are released. They're mostly on an in and
out of prison rotating cycle. Is there something in Duane's case that we can
learn from to help other inmates or is Duane a special case of a guy who
really did just get mixed up in some bad stuff but had no real criminal bent.

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redthrowaway
Having watched my best friend develop a rather serious smelling problem, I can
certainly confirm the debt issue. He had a pretty decent job selling cars at
the time, took out a loan to buy one he couldn't afford, then stopped making
payments when they interfered with his ability to buy more blow. In a span of
~8 months he managed to rack up $25k on his credit card(s), owe another $10k
for taxes, $6500 to his brother and $5k to his parents. One of the biggest
challenges for him coming out of rehab was the crushing burden of debt, and
the realization that he wouldn't be able to pay it off without living very
frugally for a number of years. It's now three years later and he's still
putting a good chunk of each paycheck towards it.

Luckily, my friend never went to jail (not for lack of effort), so he doesn't
have the additional burden of a criminal record severely limiting his
employment options. I sympathize with anyone who's trying to change their
lives while living with a criminal record.

~~~
billpatrianakos
It's tough but not impossible to overcome this sort of thing. In my experience
I think that in a twisted way that kind of messed up situation can actually be
beneficial given you've got the right personality traits. For me the same
traits that predispose me to being an addict are the very same ones that
predispose me to entrepreneurship and date I say success even.

I think it's a combination of obsession and compulsively chasing something
that gives you a rush that can actually make addicts amazingly successful.
Those traits can be equally beneficial or detrimental depending on how you
focus them. Do you see any of that in your friend? I sometimes go back to the
program that allowed me to get the charges dropped and speak to addicts and I
always tell them that despite what the world tells them they're in a unique
position to take their problem and turn it into the opposite.

Consider the addict that hits bottom has no food, shelter or money but somehow
manages to keep getting his fix. I know that I was beyond broke but nothing
could stop me from getting what I craved. Now I swapped out craving a harmful
thing for craving a beneficial thing and I channel my energy into achieving
success now instead of a syringe full of dope. As an addict you're often
forced to hustle just like in business. You also have to take a lot of shit
and negativity from every which way. Apply that to business and you're almost
impervious to being beaten down by inevitable failure. And lastly, the ability
for someone to overcome a substance addiction at all shows that they have some
serious will power and persistence. Dropping the habit isn't a one time deal.
Almost all addicts must make multiple attempts and deal with relapse before
finally succeeding. In business you'll also likely fail multiple times and
having that prior experience and knowing someone has done something similar
before is a pretty good indicator of how well they'll do if they apply
themselves correctly.

That said, it can't apply to _everyome_ with that background. You've still got
to have some degree of intelligence and we can never discount luck but all
things considered I think people with that type of background come out the
other side stronger, hungrier, and have the inborn traits needed to succeed if
focused well.

