Hi Philip, thanks for the post.
Nick Winter’s actions and ventures clearly demonstrate the primary motivation of entrepreneurs: to create change. He seems to have a keen eye for recognizing when an existing idea has the potential for added original value, or for a “remix”. He recognized that the DS touch screen was a powerful tool for interacting naturally with a game. He then, taking inspiration from the concept of touchscreen drawing for virtual surgery, transformed or “remixed” the approach into a process of language learning. So simple in hindsight, but few had done the same at the time, or perhaps few had the courage to actively pursue their original idea. He extended this approach beyond Skritter, continually chasing opportunities, launching new ventures wherever he could spot a gap in the market. He had the wisdom to gather together plenty of smart people with “skin in the game” to run Skritter, yet had a personal exit strategy prepared which allowed him to focus on CodeCambat. The fact that Skritter is still active shows he chose well. Finally, he seems to have a thriving personal and professional network, having 500+ connections on LinkedIn alone. Judging by what he has accomplished by such a relatively young age, he stands as a solid role model for would-be entrepreneurs, especially in the area of coding and programming.