Your company should act as a springboard for ambitious employees, not a set of shackles.

From the first days of my career as an entrepreneur, I have always used my own and my team's lack of experience to our advantage. In fact, at our first venture, Student magazine, we used our newcomer status to secure great interviews and generate publicity - people were excited about our new project and wanted to get involved. Our inexperience fed our restless enthusiasm for trying new things, which became part of our core mission.

Lavish praise on people and people will flourish; criticize people and they'll shrivel up.

Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty, and don't let them drag you into the mud.

I like to take chances on people, and whenever possible, promote from within - it sends a great message to everyone in the company when someone demonstrates a passion for the job and leadership skills at every step along the way and is rewarded with a leadership role.

I have never had an office that I work out of and work has become intertwined with my personal life.

Past failures unlock future successes