Welcome to 13 Questions, a series aimed at bringing a human face to notable figures in the world of startups, hardware, and tech. Ever wonder how your favorite designer learned to love tech? Curious what’s on your favorite VC’s bucket list? Want to see the person behind the media hype? 13 Questions is here.
This week Mark Cuban talks about his upbringing and road to becoming an investor. Cuban is of course the owner of Dallas Mavericks, a billionaire investor and star of the hit TV show Shark Tank. As he explains below, he’s a self-made man and started out at a very young age.
1) Is your primary device Android or iOS?
Android
2) What’s your favorite Jim Carrey movie?
Liar Liar
3) What was your first car?
1976 blue Buick LeSabre
4) What gadget do you look back fondly on?
The first car phones. Literally attached to your car.
5) What was your first experience with technology?
Learning to program on a TI 99/a.
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6) What’s your most used-app?
Cyber Dust. Amazing community, information and privacy.
7) What would you change about your current smartphone?
Better connectivity information and modularity so throughput can be optimized.
8) Who was your most influential teacher?
Mr Sampson 5th grade. He pushed me in math and taught me to enjoy it.
9) What will make you retire?
No idea.
10) What was your first investment?
Buying and selling baseball cards when I was 10. I made money.
11) What’s something on your bucket list?
Another NBA championship or 10.
12) If you didn’t live in the Los Angeles area, where would you live?
[didn’t respond]
13) What do you consider your biggest missed opportunity in life?
Haven’t experienced it yet.
Check out 13 Questions next week as we peer behind the curtain again to show the more human side of some of the biggest movers and shakers in the tech world.

