SPECIAL REPORT: Isaac Deutsch

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What led you to start your own business?

I was born into a long line of entrepreneurs. Because of this, I developed a habit of keeping an eye out for issues in my society and noticed a problem: Car ownership is in decline, yet car-sharing programs remain an expensive alternative. When I lived in New York, a company called Verifone had cabs equipped with digital screens for advertising. They were bringing in high monthly revenue and it turns out Wrapify and Volta also generate great sales from static ads on (cars and) their electric vehicle chargers. I put two and two together and couldn’t believe nobody was doing the same with regular cars.

ISAAC DEUTSCH, 23

WaiveCar, which operates a fleet of free rental cars in Santa Monica that are wrapped with advertisements and carry digital billboards on top

Employees: 12

Financials: Seed round: $1.3 million; Seed-plus round: $5 million

Where did you get the startup money?

Knocking on every door I could reach.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far?

Hiring the right people as well as acquiring insurance. Apparently there is a lot of liability that goes along with being a startup and offering free cars.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?

Be careful what you say and who you hire.

How many hours a day do you put in?

Every hour of the day, when I haven’t drifted off to sleep.

Has your youth led to any awkward situations, such as when you supervise employees who are older than you?

It hasn’t been a huge issue since I look 35, but I have noticed when people do find out my age they tend to lose some trust, and think I still have a lot to learn.

Would you start another company?

If I believed in the idea enough.

Could you ever work for someone else?

It depends on who and what for. However, I’m not afraid of it as I technically work for my investors and my employees right now.

What do you do to unwind?

I don’t. Wish me luck on figuring that out soon.

— Garrett Reim

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