Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Dominguez.
Jordan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story is that of a lifelong entrepreneur, beginning in the suburbs of San Diego. Even as a kid, I was constantly building and creating. Whether it was setting up a caricature booth outside my house at age five or teaching myself Photoshop online to begin freelancing in graphic design as a teen, these early experiences ignited my entrepreneurial spirit, laid the foundation for my future endeavors, and taught me the value of creative problem solving.
My academic journey at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where I majored in business administration (concentrating in marketing management and minoring in psychology), further shaped my understanding of the business world, marketing strategy, and human behavior. This eclectic mix of disciplines provided a unique lens through which I view the world. The journey through my educational path – from design to business and psychology – was more than academic; it was the foundation of a deeper understanding of how people interact with products and services and the underlying psychology that drives their perceptions and behavior.
After graduating, a stint at a seed-stage AI startup and a foray into coding for marketing analytics sparked my interest in software development. This led me to a significant career shift: I learned how to program online, attended a boot camp to kickstart my network and expedite the job hunt process, and spent the next five years diving deep into building technology as a software engineer.
However, the drive to blaze my own path was too strong. In February 2022, I embraced full-time entrepreneurship, a culmination of my varied skills, and a deep-seated desire to have a larger impact on the world and left my software engineering job to go all in on my own businesses.
Now, at the helm of several ambitious projects that mirror my multifaceted interests, I find my greatest excitement in TimeAlign. TimeAlign is a technology startup that embodies my journey and aspirations (combined with those of my brilliant co-founders, Matty Reed and Lucas Davila) and a grander vision to empower people to achieve their greatest ambitions while seamlessly crafting fulfillment into their lives.
To me, the solution represents a fusion of my passion and experiences in psychology, technology, and effective life management. It is ultimately about teaching people to craft fulfilling lives grounded in sustainable growth and personal alignment, much as I have strived to do with mine.
At its core, TimeAlign is more than just an app; it’s a tool designed to help individuals align their daily lives with the person that they want to be. I find it incredibly exciting to be at the forefront of this project, which I know has the potential to significantly impact how people manage their lives and achieve their goals.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not! Smooth roads are rare in entrepreneurship, and mine has been no exception.
I once heard something from a serial entrepreneur that stuck with me – they said, “I could tell you 50 places where we went wrong and how to avoid them, and you’d only find 50 different ones.”
To me, this quote means that struggles are inevitable; they are a part of the entrepreneurial (and life) process, so what matters is how you navigate these issues. “The obstacle is the way”, as Ryan Holiday’s popular book on Stoic philosophy posits.
Once you realize this and reframe your perspective, struggles become part of the grander problem-solving process rather than a big “fire” or the end of the world. I am thankful for my engineering experience for that mindset – software development taught me that any problem can be solved when broken down into its parts and attacked one at a time.
Regarding my specific struggles, I’d say my biggest challenges so far have been balancing time/energy, focus (on both macro and micro levels), and managing limited resources.
When the pie chart of life is full, it can be tough to balance priorities. I have had moments where friendships and relationships have been tested, strained, or lost, where I have pushed myself to or over the brink health wise, and moments where I or my team have had to do a “lot with a little,” spreading ourselves overly thin in our pursuits.
I am learning to balance those needs with the at-times stressful demands of the work I do. Setting limits and reminders, making time for friendships/relationships, and taking restful breaks have been huge for me, and lessons that I aim to incorporate into the products and organizations that I lead.
At the end of the day, we are humans building products for humans – a perspective that helps keep me grounded and reminds me of the importance of life beyond the “9 to 5”.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your businesses?
Currently, I’m steering multiple ventures, each reflecting different aspects of my interests and expertise.
As mentioned, my primary focus is on TimeAlign. We are trying to bring something new to time (and life) management, a well-crafted way to understand and optimize your life so that you can idealize your schedule and align your time with your goals. We’re excited about our upcoming launch on the iOS app store and all of our planned future expansions.
In addition to TimeAlign, I own and operate Luxury Home Bar, an e-commerce store catering to those seeking high-end home goods. If you’re renovating or moving into a new place, we offer some great deals on quality products! This venture is a blend of my interests in web development, business building, and intentional lifestyle design. At this point I have automated a lot of the operations, though I do also have a phenomenal team that helps keep the day-to-day running. A special shoutout to my assistant, B. Without her I would not be able to focus the energy and efforts on building the startup as I do.
Stemming from the experience and insights gained from product research in these businesses, I created ReviewGuru.ai, an AI-powered tool for product and competitive research, over a weekend as a hackathon project. Since then, I’ve collaborated with a skilled team to push this project forward and launch this initiative in parallel with my startup activities. Designed to simplify market analysis for businesses and entrepreneurs, ReviewGuru.ai fulfills a dual purpose: it meets my own needs for understanding customer dynamics and aids others in doing the same.
Finally, photography remains a personal passion. While my time for it is limited, I still indulge in capturing (and selling) high-quality art prints and travel photos, occasionally doing music, brand, or portrait shoots as well when the opportunity presents itself. However, these are selective, allowing me to balance my creative pursuits with my business ventures.
Each of these ventures, while distinct in their offerings, share a common thread – they’re built on a foundation of personal passion, cutting-edge technology, and intention.
All in all, I’ve capped incoming projects, work, etc to focus on these select projects, utilizing small but effective distributed teams to help make them a reality.
Aside from that, I’ve gotten heavily involved in international entrepreneurship through a number of incredible online communities, which have been a great source for digital networking and collaboration.
I personally love the fact that I get to chat with entrepreneurs and like-minds around the world on the regular, get a glimpse into what life looks like in very different places and cultures, and get to swap ideas and collaborate with some really incredible people. Shoutout to any/all of them reading this! You know who you are.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
My journey so far has taught me three crucial lessons:
First, never lose sight of your ‘why,’ or your ‘who.’ Remembering the purpose behind your actions and the people you’re doing it for (and with) is essential.
Second, prioritize ruthlessly. Life is too short for BS – time is precious, and life is way too short for anything that doesn’t align with your goals or values. Learning to focus on what truly matters is key to both personal and professional success.
Last, understand that often things will take longer and cost more than anticipated. And I don’t just mean financial costs. But you can’t let that deter you – that is usually what makes hard things worth the effort. I now try to embrace the mantra “do what others won’t, so that you can do what others can’t”. I have learned from some of my mentors and others well ahead of me on the path that it is only by enduring the challenges, persevering with consistency, and going the extra mile that you reach your destination – something that sets apart the extraordinary from the ordinary.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jordanjdominguez.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanjdominguez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanjdominguez/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jord4n_j
- Other: https://timealignapp.com
Image Credits
Alex Matacchieri
Alex Howard
Jordan Dominguez
