About Me

Click here to skip to my professional bio.

So what is this website?

My website provides practical advice and commentary on technology, entrepreneurship and life in general. I try to do this by talking about the topics I know best: entrepreneurship, technology and media. I’m not out to cover tech news on this blog, though – you can read my stuff on CNET and Mashable for that.

Specifically, I am out to talk about practical advice for entrepreneurs and what’s in store in the future for the web. There are many resources, ideas, trends, and opinions that can help someone become a sharper mind and a better person. I want to bring all of that to you through this blog and my work. I will always try to provide you with a new perspective, sound advice, and a bit of my quirky charm.

---

So who is Ben Parr?

Instead of me trying to describe to you who I am and what I stand for, I’ll highlight a few traumatic experiences in my life that will give you a clearer picture of who I am. Who wants to hear about your entire life story anyway – why not skip to the action?

(If you’re looking for the professional bio, skip below)

• I didn’t talk until I was three years old. Honestly, I think I just didn’t want to talk. All of the psychiatrists and teachers thought I was possibly learning disabled and had speech problems. They were fantastically wrong. How they got it wrong, I’m not really sure, but it’s something that no longer interests me. I am who I am now, and that’s how I like to live.
• I was hit by a car in a parking lot when I was six. The man who hit me gave me a crisp $20 to never say anything. I was a kid who didn’t know better, so I happily obliged. This was my first experience in business and economics, and I should thank that guy someday for it.
• When I was eight, I broke my collar bone. My babysitter decided it was a good idea to swerve off the road to avoid a bunny on the highway when she was taking me to my first T-ball practice. Two days later, she vanished, I had a broken collar bone, and our Jeep… well, that thing’s probably a cube of crushed metal by now. I blame my babysitter for my horrendous baseball skills. At least it didn’t affect my swimming or my football.
• I used to weight 201 pounds when I was in college. I decided to change it one summer though and dropped 40 pounds. I didn’t do it with with crazy dieting or weird workout routines, but with discipline in my workouts and in what I consumed. It just goes to show what some consistent dedication and smarter eating can do.
• I am a man run by my principles and my philosophies. The overarching one is this: I have the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. Everything I do stems from that belief.
• I tend to learn by jumping into the coliseum and then learning how to wield the sword. Or jumping into the pool and then learning how to swim. I am quirky and truly unconventional as a person and as a thinker. I’m fine with failure, so long as it leads to a bigger success later on. This is probably why I label myself as an entrepreneur. So don’t let failure deter you; use it as a stepping stone and an educational experience towards making your mark on the world.
• Finally, prove all your doubters wrong. They can only hold you back if you let them.

---

So who is Ben Parr? – The Professional Version

Ben Parr is a respected technology entrepreneur, investor and journalist. Parr is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of #DOMINATEFUND, an early-stage venture capital firm that helps startups get attention for their products by 1) connecting startups with celebs and influencers and 2) coaching startups on how to deal with media and the press, user acquisition strategies, and how to navigate Hollywood.

In addition to #DOMINATEFUND, Parr is also a Columnist & Commentator for the popular technology news website CNET, where he opines on technology and entrepreneurship. He is currently writing his first book, Captivology: The Secret Science of Capturing People’s Attention, due in 2014 from Penguin Riverhead. Previously, Parr was the Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable, where he wrote more than 2,400 articles on social media and technology, managed Mashable’s editorial team, and interviewed everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Mark Zuckerberg.

Parr’s work has been featured in a variety of media, including Fortune, CNN, Fox News, TechCrunch, CNBC, PC Magazine, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Telegraph, Globe and Mail, The Atlantic, Wired, The Denver Post, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Sky News, PC World, Reuters, The Washington Post, The Toronto Sun, CBS News, TheWrap, Del Spiegel, Business Insider and The New York Times. In 2011 Parr was named one of the top ten tech journalists in the world by Say Media, and in 2012 he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30.

Parr is a graduate of Northwestern University, majoring in Science in Human Culture and Political Science, and minoring in Business Institutions.

---

Contacting Me

I love to hear from everybody about my writing, how much I suck, and everything in between. It’s how I get a lot of ideas for articles. I also love hearing about new services or new ways to use them, so let’s chat. Warning though: I get a lot of email, tweets, and messages though, so it takes time.

Here are the best ways to get in touch with me:

• Email: Ben@benparr.com
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Google Profile
• Quora