Close Menu

The Dean's Executive Speaker Series

Josh Hug

Chief Operating Officer, Remitly

Josh Hug and students pose, smiling, in front of a whiteboard in a classroom setting.

Josh Hug joined Remitly after initially acting as a mentor for the company in the TechStars program. With members of his family living abroad, Hug has experienced firsthand the challenge of sending money across borders. He has a history of creating beautiful products, most recently as co-founder and CEO of Shelfari, a virtual bookshelf that was acquired by Amazon.com in 2008. He earned a B.S. in computer science and math from Whitworth in 2000, and he now serves as a volunteer in Kenya for Heroes of the Nation, which supports about 500 orphans.

Tips for success:

  • Invest your time in what you want to do.
  • Surround yourself with others who are smarter than you are.
  • The ceiling can be determined early in your career.
  • Exercise.
  • Seek out challenges and problems. Solve problems and you will be recognized.
  • Learn from others' mistakes.
  • Understand your market.
  • Cash is king.
  • Revenue is life.
  • Relationships matter for both fundraising and acquisitions.
  • Get strategic investors.
  • Pick good lawyers.
  • Company culture is critical.
  • Leading a startup is emotionally taxing.
  • Share your fears with someone.
  • Losing employees is difficult.
  • Selling a company that doesn't make money is difficult.
  • Don't be afraid to fail. Fear of failure limits success.
  • Do what God created you to do.
  • Someone did it for the first time. Why can't you?
  • Trust God and act decisively.
  • Be ready to seize opportunities when they present themselves.