U.S. National Boxing Champion and FightCamp Co-Founder Tommy Duquette Is Boxing Success In The Startup Ring

The Golden Glove Champ’s Boxing Career and Workout Routine Keep Him Laser Focused On Building A Community People Love

FightCamp founder, Tommy Duquette

Startup culture often celebrates the college dropout, but Tommy Duquette has no qualms about attributing a great deal of his success to his alma mater. In fact, blending his boxing acumen with his experience at Babson College empowered him to launch FightCamp in 2013.

The co-founder and Head of Content at FightCamp, a fit-tech venture that streams on-demand boxing workouts (think Peloton of boxing), says he caught the startup bug from immersing himself in a selective management consulting program at Babson. There, he was under the tutelage of Highland Capital partners Bob Davis (founder of Lycos) and Andrew Hunt (founder of Warby Parker). His professors schooled him in tech and entrepreneurship while his peers kept him motivated.

Tommy Duquette. in Team USA days

Before Babson, there was boxing. Prior to FightCamp, the Boston native and Golden Gloves champ was a member of the United States National Boxing Team from 2008–2012 and barely missed a chance to represent the US at the 2012 London Olympics, the same year he graduated from Babson.

But mentors, classmates (and knockout skills) can only take you so far in tech. There are some things business courses will never teach you, like how to see clearly through the emotional ups and downs of launch; how to foster multi-cofounder relationships and how to manage and measure success. And when it comes to getting started, Duquette says you simply just have to get in the ring. Here’s how:

The Q & A

What is the one key thing essential to launching a startup?

Stop planning and start building. Less experienced entrepreneurs take too much time planning. They invest in things that aren’t important at the beginning when they should be building and shipping product.

What are the most important factors for a successful launch?

Usage and revenue. By far. It’s all that matters.

What was the most stressful thing about the launch?

The most stressful part of any launch is waiting for those first several conversions. Hearing that first ding from the Shopify app is the best feeling for a first-time entrepreneur. It’s a huge milestone and many entrepreneurs give up before they get there. My co-founders and I will never forget that first sale.

“Inspire The Fighter Within”“. FightCamp Studio. Photo courtesy of FightCamp

They say the journey as a founder is lonely — agree or not? Can you give advice on dealing with the struggle? What are your coping mechanisms?

The journey of an entrepreneur can definitely be very lonely, but I have been extremely fortunate to have five other amazing co-founders along for the ride with me and we could not have made it this far without the support of each other. If you want to start a company, go find a few of the smartest, hardest working people that you can find. You will thank me later.

Five co-founders?! How do you all make it work?

We all have different skill sets. One is focused on software, another on data which is integral to our success, another is focused on operations. As for me, I am tasked with building out the content, including all the on-demand workouts which streams live from our studio here in Costa Mesa. It’s one thing to know we all bring different skill sets but it’s quite another to recognize, appreciate and respect what each of us bring to the table.

How do you stay productive without getting burnout?

First and foremost, when you are passionate about what you do, you have a much stronger tolerance for feeling burnout. That said, I have found that it is very important to have time where you separate yourself completely from work. This is a very difficult thing for an entrepreneur to do but it is absolutely vital! I am also a huge proponent of fitness and wellness. My exercise regimen is key to maintaining daily stress and anxiety. I get my best ideas while out for long runs.

Photo, FightCamp.

Advice on founding a DTC company right now?

Get out there and sell your product as soon as possible. It doesn’t need to be perfect and it doesn’t even need to exist yet. What does need to exist is a market desire for the specific mix of product, price and promotion you are selling. I promise you that selling your product will be 10X harder than you think it will be and that is OK. Learning how to sell has compounding effects. These learnings add up over time and if you are committed and disciplined, this momentum will be unstoppable.

What’s your favorite self-care or wellness product?

I’m a huge fan of Hyperice products. As a long time athlete, my body has been beaten up over the years. They have an innovative product line of massage devices and foam rollers that restore my body and relieve pain and soreness.

Tommy Duquette. at 2012 Olympic Trials. Scott Fisher.

What’s the most important part of your morning routine and why?

The first thing I do in the morning is drink a ton of water. Everybody wakes up dehydrated and proper hydration is so key to physical and mental performance.

“Exercise is almost as important to my survival as eating and breathing. I would be lost without it.”

What is your happy time?

I have found that I am a lot more relaxed and productive when I start my days with a run or a little bit of jump rope. From there, I always review emails and prioritize tasks before getting into the office. Things change quickly in a startup setting and I have found it useful to re-prioritize every morning. This morning stack sets me up for success throughout the day.

Jumping rope is an essential part of the founder’s workout. “Fighters have to be up on their feet moving around the ring for long durations of time, “ Duquette told Livestrong.com. “And jump rope is one of the best ways to build cardio endurance.” The stress-relieving of boxing has helped made FightCamp a real contender in the $6 billion and growing on-demand fitness market.

Lark Files

Morning first: The first thing I do in the morning is to drink a ton of water. Everybody wakes up dehydrated and proper hydration is so key to physical and mental performance.

Productivity boost: I try to work out in the morning three to four times per week. I honestly wish I did this every day and it is something I am working towards.

Get up and go move: I have found that I am a lot more relaxed and productive when I start my days with a run or a little bit of jump rope.

Work firsts: I always review emails and prioritize tasks before getting into the office. Things change quickly in a startup setting and I have found it useful to re-prioritize every morning. This morning stack sets me up for success throughout the day.

Favorite self-care product: I’m a huge fan of Hyperice products. As a long time athlete, my body has been beaten up over the years. They have an innovative product line of massage devices and foam rollers that restore my body and relieve pain and soreness.

Wellness POV : I am open to anything that can help optimize mental and/or physical health and wellness.