Pictured Above: Mr. Douglas L. Murphy
Who is Douglas L. Murphy?
Douglas L. Murphy is a young American technology entrepreneur who founded AutoDock and revolutionizes the technology industry. Check out his incredible story today!
When and where was Douglas L. Murphy born?
Douglas L. Murphy, a native of Miami, Florida born on February 16, 1993, to his parents, his Father, Derek Maurice Gray, and his mother, Cicely Rambo. Douglas’s parents were never married, and his father died tragically just before his 10th birthday. Upon his father’s death, Douglas’s Mom moved to Orlando, FL, where he resided for another six years before moving to Los Angeles, California.
What inspired Douglas L. Murphy to start this business?
Throughout his life, Mr. Murphy has always had a love for business because he was hardworking and loved challenges. Starting with a small lemonade stand that he and his five brothers built from old oak wood, making Mr. Murphy his first $100 he recalls led him to his next passion of technology. Mr. Murphy’s love for computer technology began around age 12 when he and his brother built their first desktop modem from used Dell parts. It was the best summer of their life. The two brothers even started an eBay store that they eventually had to close down because they were both underage, but eBay let them keep their sales. Mr. Murphy laughs as he recalls the story.
Furthermore, Mr. Murphy’s love for engineering systems and creative design has furnished his passion for product design and, eventually, software. Simultaneously, he worked a series of odd jobs, from restaurant work, door-to-door sales to being an extra in Paramount pictures films on the weekends. Mr. Murphy began his career in Periscope as a marketing specialist. He finally got his shot in the technology industry, working as a bartender’s assistant in Downtown LA. Mr. Murphy met Tyler Hansen, one of the chief executives at Periscope, a newly found startup created by founders Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein. Periscope, launched in 2015, is an American live video streaming application developed for iOS and Android by Twitter.
How did it all start?
Having a minor background in computer programming, Mr. Murphy was given a job as a marketing specialist upon requests by Joe Bernstein, who told Douglas that if he could learn C+ programming and JavaScript coding languages, he could be promoted to help the new live video streaming department being created within Periscope. Mr. Murphy, always ambitious and dynamic, vigorously taught himself coding in his tiny Downtown LA apartment day and night. Within three months, he was an intermediate coder, received the promotion, and added key components to the company’s new software.
Just a few months after Douglas’s promotion, Periscope was sold to Twitter for $100 Million; being employee number 27 for the company, Douglas received a 1.2 million dollar compensation $500,000 in cash and the rest in stock equity residuals. This was the steppingstone that led Mr. Murphy to begin his quests on building his startup and becoming a serial entrepreneur he is the founder of AutoDock, an automotive device that combats distracted drivers, and his most recent startup, Hi-Fi Wireless Internet provider to Southwest America. Mr. Murphy is an American heartland story born to very humble beginnings with hard work and a relentless mindset; he was able to rise and become a young tech entrepreneur as he declares himself, and he is only getting started.
IN A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH MR. MURPHY
How has beinging an entrepreneur affected your life?
Becoming an entrepreneur is not that easy. Entrepreneurship will change the way you think and behave. You have to become a three-dimensional thinker. Owning a business is a 24/7 job, and it will keep you on your toes. There is no one looking over your shoulder; that’s why you have to make sure you do the work. As an entrepreneur, you have to learn a lot to hold yourself accountable to succeed. Empathy is the main factor in being an excellent boss. As the CEO of AutoDock, I’m trying to understand my employees. I always try to put myself in the employee’s shoes to help figure out the best way to solve a problem.
What motivates you?
“My first biggest motivation is my FAMILY because they are my strongest supporters and biggest source of inspiration. I have learned from my father how to not give up on a tough situation. The second motivation is FINANCIAL FREEDOM because, in the past, I had to deal with people trying to control me my whole life. I’ve tried and failed to change my life. I’ve picked up many skills and experimented in different environments, but I kept getting absorbed back into doing things that didn’t sustain, challenge, or encourage me. I needed a career to have a stable income. I was raised in poverty most of my life. When I was ten years old, I was cared for by a single parent (my mother), I knew that without a baseline of money, you could easily be controlled by others. I believe financial freedom is everything because if you’re financially stable, you can make your own life decisions without being stressed about the financial impact. You should control your finances instead of being controlled by them.”
How do you define success?
Everyone has a different definition of success, but for me, success is when all of your hard work and consistency turn out well. In your career, success influences your motivation: it positively shapes the path you take.
“As a tech entrepreneur, I define success in two ways. First, helping the company to accomplish its goals for the next decades, in my eyes. Second, improving employee engagement and encouraging their commitment to greater growth. I believe success is not just by performance but also by the need, achievements, and unity of the team and the clients. I evaluate success not based only on my personal goals or work but also on all my team members’ work. And I feel successful when my team meets their objectives.”
What advise can you give to future entrepreneurs?
For the aspiring future entrepreneurs reading this, Mr. Murphy’s Advice:
Prepare yourself physically and mentally for anything that could go wrong and have a backup plan for how you would deal with it. For example, what happens if clients pay you a month late? Or what if a reliable and trusted supplier goes bankrupt? You must prepare yourself for all the financial challenges and keep in mind that you are a new startup, so don’t hesitate to ask for help from your seniors. Put your faith in a trusted mentor because a mentor can help give you a piece of valuable and practical advice for your future and offer valuable insight into what it takes to get forward. Build a team that shares the same vision as you because effective team building means more engaged workers, which is good for the company and most importantly stay imaginative don’t lose sight of your idea and let business dwindle your creativity now go be great!!
