If you catch me lying, it's probably because I'm about to surprise someone for their birthday, or hide away the specific details about a company getaway to a strange but amazing place.

Every day I'd come home after school, pop the hood of my mom's car, put alligator clips on the battery, and wire into the house and go play on my computer. If I used it for too long, I'd wear down the car battery, and my mom would be all mad at me the next day.

Workflow and usability are not afterthoughts; they impact the core of any project and dictate how it should be engineered.

For resourceful tech founders, finding capital is rarely a problem; making the best use of it is another story. A few years slinging pepperoni pies and chicken wings - on tiny margins and with minimal investment - might not be the worst fiscal training.

For some people, staying grounded means doing yoga. For others, it's spending time with family. Social media, too, can be a lifesaver.

As an entrepreneur, the pressures of a startup can be enormous, but it's rarely life or death.