Nick Woodman: GoPro CEO

 

Now, UCSD is known for many things… our spaceship looking library, our beloved yearly Sun God festival, and of course our campus-wide understanding that all conversations must take a thirty second pause whenever a jet flies by. However, what many people don’t know is that the GoPro was actually created by one of our fellow Tritons!

 

For those of you that are not familiar with the device, the GoPro is a high-definition camera specifically created to be compact and lightweight enough to be worn or mounted. The wide-angle lens captures still photos or videos, and is designed to be durable enough to accompany you just about anywhere. Nick Woodman, the founder and CEO of GoPro, initially chose to study at UCSD after graduating from high school due to his passion for surfing combined with the close proximity to the ocean. It was here that he came up with the idea of binding an existing camera to surfer’s wrists, allowing him to capture himself and other surfers while in the water. Years later, Woodman further professionalized this prototype and built his own design called GoPro. 

 

In 2013, the Muir College graduate of 1997 was recognized as one of the youngest self-made billionaires of the year, with his company estimated at over $2.25 billion.All entrepreneurs take note! Nick Woodman told Forbes Magazine that his fear of failure is what really attributed to his enormous success. After two failed start-ups, he was in constant fear of another failed business and letting down the people that invested in his dream. The GoPro CEO admits, “I was so scared that I would fail again that I was totally committed to succeed.”