Mike DeLazzer visited UF to share an important life lesson with students: Never give up on an opportunity.
DeLazzer, co-founder of Redbox, joined the UF Entrepreneurship Club in Heavener Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to share his story of successfully turning a simple idea into a growing company to a packed classroom of more than 25 students.
Redbox was originally meant for airports to provide entertainment for people constantly on the go, he said.
DeLazzer said his marriage was failing and he was on the verge of losing his house when McDonald’s Corp. offered him an eight-week opportunity to turn around a successful DVD rental product.
When the deadline approached, McDonald’s representatives said the prototype didn’t meet its full potential, and they threatened to move on. DeLazzer said he demanded 24 more hours to complete the product.
Luckily, McDonald’s representatives agreed.
“I had a feeling of exhilaration, followed by a wave of fear,” DeLazzer said.
After a sleepless night, DeLazzer presented a complete prototype.
“If I hadn’t asked for those 24 hours, (Redbox) wouldn’t have happened,” DeLazzer said.
Isaac Mizrahi, a 25-year-old UF law student, said he this was an unique opportunity to meet a renowned entrepreneur.
“It was informative to learn about the struggle,” Mizrahi said.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 1/21/2015 under the headline “Redbox co-founder talks entrepreneurship, persistence"]
Redbox co-founder Mike DeLazzer speaks in Heavener Hall on Tuesday. He told the story of how the company was started and answered questions in front of about 100 people at a meeting of the Entrepreneurship Club.
