The road to startup success doesn’t necessarily smell like roses. It holds a signature scent of sweat, musty cement, and coffee — lots of coffee. The sounds resonate roaring cheers, wall-punching thuds of frustration, and rapid keyboard strokes rhythmically typing ideas into action. While we can’t fully relive the experiences that shape escapades in entrepreneurship, we can show you glimpses of what startup life is like.
In this first throwback feature, Atlanta’s industry leaders share their moments in learning how to build buoyant businesses.
Michael Tavani (quoted) and David Payne, founders of Switchyards and Scoutmob: “[Our] holiday card from 2010 – Scoutmob’s first year in existence. People absolutely loved it. We enjoyed doing these little delightful things with our brand. I think one person even responded, “If Scoutmob were a human, I’d marry it.” 
Jeff Hilimire, CEO of Dragon Army, a mobile experience agency with an expertise in gaming: “Raj Choudhury and my first company, both at age 25, announcing our rebranding to “Spunlogic” at Colony Square. We were just beginning to learn how to run a company.”
Adam Harrell, co-founder of Nebo, a human-centered digital marketing agency: “Here’s a pic from our first office in 2004 on Mitchell St. Our rent was only $950 a month. We used mismatched chairs and desks that we’d scrounged up for free somewhere.” 
David Williams, current investor through Global Ad Ventures and founder of 360i and BLiNQ (featured): “Working hard, playing harder and having fun all along the way!”
Jaime Turner, CEO of SIXTY and founder of Mobile X Fest: “This is me about to slug my college roommate, who inspired me to become an entrepreneur. (How did he inspire me? Because when he started his business I thought, ‘Sheesh, if Davis can start a business, anybody can, so it must not be as complicated as I thought.’ True story.)” 
From Hypepotamus: “These are from 2013 when Hype was a physical space in the basement of the Biltmore. It’s amazing how in three years things change. Many of the entrepreneurs in this photo are now running major startups. Hype has pivoted from a physical space to be solely online, but our mission is the same — we are a startup here to support startups.”
