Twenty In Their 20s: MATT LUCIDO

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What led you to start your own company?

While a full-time M.B.A. student at USC and working 30 hours a week part time at Honest Co., co-founded by Jessica Alba and Brian Lee of ShoeDazzle and LegalZoom, I was busy and wanted to outsource as much as possible in my nonwork and school life. There was a void in the market – no company was offering a suite of services – so we filled it with UsePorter.com.


Where did you get the startup money?

I put some of my own money into the business and was also able to raise a small amount of seed capital from local investors to prove the concept once we were generating revenue.

What was the biggest challenge?

Recruiting co-founders to commit to the project.

What was the most important lesson you learned?

Listen to your customers.

How many hours a day do you put in?

8 a.m. to 8 p.m. typically, plus weekends.

Does your youth lead to awkward situations, such as when you supervise older workers?

Absolutely not. It shouldn’t for entrepreneurs my age, unless you let it. It’s a mentality. You need to build the company culture specific to your venture and to the personalities on your team. This is key to early success and teamwork.

Will you start another company?

Yes. I live for this.

Could you ever work for someone else?

Yes. It’s all about the right fit, where you can contribute, learn and work with amazing people – it doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or the intern – you should love what you’re doing.

What do you do to relax?

Golf, ski, work out, meditate, enjoy a good whiskey – but not “Mad Men” style!

MATT LUCIDO, 28

UsePorter.com, an online marketplace for house-cleaning, dry-cleaning, wash and fold, and dog-walking services, Santa Monica

Employees: 7

Financials: $525,000 projected revenue for 2014.

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