NFL quarterback-turned-founder Colin Kaepernick on the challenges faced by bullies

Former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick took the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 on Wednesday to talk about the challenges that aspiring disruptors face — both inside and outside of the tech world.

“One of the biggest challenges you can face when you’re trying to disrupt something — or you’re trying to do something you love, and it ends up disrupting something in that process is that you face a lot of opposition,” Kaepernick said. . “There will be hard times, and in those times, you want to have those people you can rely on, people who can support you, and that’s really what gives you that resilience.”

Kaepernick is no stranger to disruption, as he made national headlines in 2016 when he took a knee to protest racial injustice. The former NFL star says that even though he faced a lot of opposition, he also saw the push to create a better and more equal future.

“When you do that and you see a strong response to it, it gives you perspective and understanding,” Kaepernick said. “We have a long way to go. But, the other part I learned at that time, there are also a lot of people who want to go the long way with you, and I think it was a good part that came out of there when there was a lot of opposition and planning.”

As someone who has written thousands of stories about herself, she now wants to help creators take control of their narratives with Lumi. The startup aims to empower creators by helping them independently create and publish stories and content.

As for founders who want to disrupt and explore their passions, Kaepernick offered a few words of advice.

“Do you do your homework and know why you’re doing what you’re doing,” she said. “And two, once you know that, go after it with passion and go after it with everything you’ve got and bring people. I wouldn’t be sitting here today and none of you would know at all if it wasn’t for the many people who helped me along the way, and it’s all the people from my wife to family and friends, my teammates to coaches, other investors and mentors I’ve had along the way. So have those people with you, because that makes us, that makes you live longer. ”