This reminds me of Ryan Kulp's answer to What are some of the most mind-blowing facts of starting a company that sound like "BS", but are actually true?.

I’ve started a few businesses. Some wins, some losses, and some learning experiences, as my friend Sean Sheppard says.

But more important than the how, which is usually boring stuff like:

• making your mom the first customer
• spamming friends on Facebook / email
• asking family for money because it’s a “great opportunity”
• signing up for LegalZoom

Is the why.

Why did I start each of my businesses?

Business #1

Partipig was my first [legal] business. We originally branded ourselves as “event planners,” but quickly became known for hookah catering.

Why did I get into selling and catering hookahs? Opportunism. I saw a gap in the market and filled it. In fact, I never smoked any of the 130+ hookahs we stocked.

Business #2

Mylar Designs was my second business, also started while I was in college. We manufactured pin-back buttons for musicians, politicians, and sports teams.

Why did I design and produce pin-back buttons? To scratch my own itch. I was considering a career in music at the time, and affordable, grassroots-style marketing collateral was becoming very popular for indie artists.

Business #3

ArtSpot will always have a special place in my heart. This was an Airbnb style platform that connected artists with open venues, from cafes to co-working spaces.

Why did I start an art company? To rebel against a rigged system. Talented, up-and-coming artists of all disciplines (acting, dance, visual, music, etc) struggle to get noticed, even if they deserve it.

Business #4

Camp was an idea-stage incubator I co-founded with two friends. We produced an all-expenses paid, 6 week startup bootcamp that concluded with a 72-hour hackathon in downtown Detroit.

Why did I do this? To support entrepreneurship. Over 300 teams applied, and we chose 5. It then took us months to pay off the credit card bills. Worth it.

Business #5

Fomo is my current running company, and it’s my baby. We help increase social proof on your website with one line of code.

Why did I start Fomo? To give honest entrepreneurs the credibility they deserve.

Hopefully this was more helpful than the how, which you can learn about from a textbook or tax attorney.