Jeff Martens '00 will be the first to tell you that success comes in many different forms, and his own path has been a classic case in point. At his current position as product manager at New Relic in Portland, Martens looks back at his entrepreneurial career with fond memories and lessons learned.

The University of Oregon alumnus began his entrepreneurship journey in 1997 as a student of the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship (LCE). He admittedly chose this path because he “wanted to do something different than everyone else." Little did he know that his desire to be different would lead him down a path of challenge, fortitude, and success. What began as just a major, turned into a lifestyle—a not uncommon phenomenon for business students who come down with the entrepreneurship bug.

Martens was a part of LCE during the big Internet boom of the late 1990s when he took up a part-time job in the center's office, working at the front desk. Here, he formed connections, got involved with Alpha Kappa Psi, the university's business fraternity, and found his first internship.

He described this experience as one of the most valuable in his career, recalling how LCE staff were resourceful and always focused on the students.

“I've been out of college for 15 years, and I can still call on Randy Swangard (former director of LCE). I still look up to him and use him as a mentor. That is someone I wouldn't have come in contact with if it wasn't for LCE," Martens said.

He found his beginning in entrepreneurship the same way many LCE students are finding theirs now. Being involved in LCE and the overall Eugene business community as a student boosted his preparation for success as an alumnus.

Martens left the University of Oregon with a business idea and the drive only an entrepreneur can possess. He headed to San Francisco to find the funds and the people to make his dream into reality. As a student, he began forming an idea that would eventually lead to his own company. Like most startup ideas, Martens's venture took time to develop and find its place in the business world. He knew the purpose of his vision and just had to find the need for it.

“The idea was the solution, and I needed the problem," he explained.

His dream finally materialized as CPUsage, a platform for high-performance and high-throughput computing. CPUsage allows software developers, scientists, and researchers to distribute applications and tasks to thousands of cloud computing instances so that work can be performed in a matter of minutes, not months. Getting CPUsage up and running was a challenge for Martens and his team, who faced all of the struggles a small startup company could expect. After four years of operation, Martens made the decision to sell his company.

“Sometimes you have to go fast and fail fast," he reflected. “The years I spent as an entrepreneur were the best years of my life."

Once an entrepreneur, however, always an entrepreneur. In the days of CPUsage, Martens learned what he's capable of, and he intends to revisit the entrepreneurial life in the future. He gained the contacts and ability to start a business by simply taking the leap of action.

“don't be hesitant to go out and try something new," he said. “If you want to be an entrepreneur, do it while you're young."

Follow and Connect with Martens on Twitter (@jmartens) and LinkedIn

Story written by Allen Hall Public Relations on behalf of the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, in celebration of the center's 25th anniversary