Derek Sivers

Derek Sivers is an American writer, musician, programmer, and entrepreneur best known for being the founder and former president of CD Baby, an online CD store for independent musicians.

Sivers was born in the United States in 1969 and grew up in rural Washington. He was interested in music and computers from an early age and taught himself how to program in BASIC at the age of nine. He became a professional musician and programmer in the mid-1990s and moved to New York City in 1997.

In 1998, Sivers launched CD Baby, an online store that allowed independent musicians to sell their CDs directly to fans. The company was an immediate success and quickly became one of the most successful independent music stores on the internet. In 2008, Sivers sold CD Baby to Disc Makers for $22 million.

In addition to his work with CD Baby, Sivers has been involved in a number of other entrepreneurial ventures. He is the founder of MuckWork, a virtual assistant service for musicians, and Wood Egg, a business-advice publishing company. He also serves as an advisor to several startups, including Twitter.

Sivers is also a prolific writer and speaker. He is the author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur, and his TED Talks have been viewed more than four million times.

In addition to his business activities, Sivers is also a musician, playing drums in the band Jigsaw Posse. He has released two solo albums and has contributed music to a number of films, television shows, and video games.

Derek Sivers is an inspiring example of an entrepreneur who has achieved success through hard work, tenacity, and creativity. He has built a successful business, written a bestselling book, and has become an influential voice in the world of independent music. His story is one of determination, passion, and perseverance, and he is an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere.