Brad Feld

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My Love Hate Relationship with Boston

May 08, 2007
Category Places

I spent 12.1 years of my life living in Boston (and Cambridge) – from age 17.7 to 29.8.  This morning I spent an hour having a picture perfect run around the Charles River, listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on my iTurd (my podcasts are still not syncing correctly, but whatever), and reminiscing on my time here.

I’ll always be defined by the seven years I spent at MIT (two degrees, one ABD ejection.)  I lived in Cambridge for four of them and Boston for the other eight (Devonshire Place, Fort Point Channel, and Bay State Road.)  I got married, got divorced, and met my soulmate. 

I started my first company (Feld Technologies), sold my first company, did my first angel investments (successful: NetGenesis, Thinkfish, Harmonix, Abuzz; unsuccessful: Virtuflex, Trellix, NetCentric), and learned an enormous amount about starting and running entrepreneurial businesses.

I met three of my best friends (Warren, Dave, Raj) who I think of as step-brothers.  I met two father figures (Eric, Len) who have had almost as much influence on me as my dad and my uncle Charlie.  I had some amazing highs, a very deep two year depression, and eventually realized that I only got one shot at this life thing.

I often say that I spent 11 years and 364 days too many in Boston.  But – that’s not really true.  On a morning like this, as the sun shines down up me and I put one foot in front of the other, Boston feels like a special place.