Entrepreneurs on Fire How to Build Wealth and Exit the Rat Race with David Royce
Aug 26, 2025
David Royce, an entrepreneur behind Aptive's rapid rise to a $500 million valuation, shares invaluable insights on wealth building and escaping the rat race. He discusses the necessity of best practices and metrics as a company’s secret sauce. Royce emphasizes that a brand's story should continually evolve and highlights how innovation can make work enjoyable. His journey from door-to-door sales to CEO reveals the challenges of growth and the importance of mentorship in the entrepreneurial path.
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Second-Mover Advantage
- Entering a crowded industry can be an advantage because proven models already exist to improve upon.
- David Royce calls this the second-mover advantage where pioneers
From Door Knocking To Scaling Fast
- David started selling pest control door-to-door to pay for college and failed the first week before becoming top rookie.
- He turned that summer job into training materials and grew a company from $1.5M to $10M in three summers.
Repeated Builds And Strategic Exits
- David founded multiple companies, sold them to raise capital, and kept his leadership team to scale further.
- He expanded into thousands of cities and became the third largest residential pest control firm.