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Taking Calculated Risks in Entrepreneurship

Category: Grad News
Class Years:

This episode features an interview with David Hunt, Founder and CEO at Crossrope, a fun new way to get fit anywhere with a weighted jump rope experience.

David is a 2004 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Entrepreneurial Masters graduate, former Naval Aviator, startup founder, and jump rope enthusiast. With just a library card and an entrepreneurial itch, David was able to overcome a severe injury to focus his energy into creating a company that provides fun, accessible, and impactful workouts with revolutionary jump rope technology.

In this episode, David talks about his life as an aviation pilot in the US Navy, overcoming serious life-changing injuries through passionate entrepreneurship, and the importance of taking calculated risks while also embracing uncertainty.

Episode Timestamps

(01:48) Segment: AAR
(04:52) Experience at the Naval academy
(10:32) David’s initial career
(14:06) Becoming a pilot
(16:42) Entrepreneurship within the Naval academy
(19:44) Experience on active duty
(26:51) Starting Crossrope
(33:03) Transitioning from active duty into Crossrope full-time
(39:48) Lessons for service members
(48:30) The future of Crossrope
(53:17) Final remarks

“A lot of people have ideas and it’s really hard to take the steps, even if you don’t know what they are, to go for it and to try something else, especially within the reality of you can do. Like a lot of times I think entrepreneurs are glorified for the unsung heroes taking crazy risks. And in reality, most of the time, it should be a calculated risk. If you are listening to this right now, and you are thinking about taking some sort of a risk or doing something entrepreneurial, please calculate it, and have some backup plans, because it can be a big mistake.”

—David Hunt

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The WPAOG Podcast is a strategic initiative focused on tailored audible communications to further inform Graduates on current AOG projects, events, and USMA updates. This customized content is mainly for USMA Alumni and the West Point Community solely produced by the West Point Association of Graduates. The Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Audible, YouTube Music, and iHeartRadio.

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