What is a blue collar founder? We are founders that are making our way through life on the gritty side of things. I am a blue collar founder. I scrape mud off my work boots before I kick them off each day and shake the sawdust off my clothes before I walk through my front door. My hands have scars and calluses proudly earned from years of work. At the end of the day, I can look back and see what my sweat has produced. I don’t have a degree hanging on a wall with a picture of me smiling in a cap and gown. I chose a different path. I have a tool belt and a DD-214 and pictures of shooting pool and fishing.

Blue collar founders walk a different path. Our startup ideas are born of need, necessity and life experiences. Most of blue collar ideas don’t make it past the bullshit phase…the time we spend with our friends talking about the great idea we came up with. Blue collar founders move past the bullshit phase and figure out how to bring our ideas to life.

Blue collar founders are overlooked and often, our ideas and startups fade as the pressing concerns of earning a living for our family takes precedence. This doesn’t mean the startup wasn’t good or the idea isn’t great. It happens because we don’t have networks, pedigrees and contacts that gain us access to the angel and venture fund communities. We also don’t have a circle of family and friends that can pitch in a few thousand dollars to fund our dream. Money is tight and things are tough all over. Most of us live paycheck to paycheck and the little extra we make goes to helping family and neighbors make it through a tough week.

Despite all of this, blue collar founders will grind long hours, learn new skill sets, and will keep on pushing, all for a chance to make our lives, and the lives of everyone around us, a little better. If you want to take a chance on a founder, why not take a chance on someone who has learned what it takes to get the job done. Blue collar founders know work and sacrifice. We live it.