SolidWorks founder and “21”
The new movie “21,” starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Lawrence Fishburne, opens nationwide today. It’s based on the popular book “Bringing Down the House,” which tells the tale of a group of MIT students who beat the house playing blackjack in Vegas.
Jon Hirschtick was one of these students.
Jon first played with cards as a kid, performing mag
ic tricks and making a few bucks along the way. When he landed at MIT years later, he saw a flier on a wall at the student center that said “Earn $2,000 to $6,000 over the next six months playing blackjack with a professional team.”
ic tricks and making a few bucks along the way. When he landed at MIT years later, he saw a flier on a wall at the student center that said “Earn $2,000 to $6,000 over the next six months playing blackjack with a professional team.”He made more than $6,000. While some MIT students opted-out from the blackjack scene, Jon opted-in, becoming a prolific player. From 1984 through 1994, he participated in 100+ blackjack trips. He and his team made millions of dollars over the years; Jon made nearly $1 million.
Jon was invited to the world premiere of the movie “21” in Vegas, meeting Bosworth, Sp
acey and Jim Sturgess, the film’s young star. Jon likes the movie, citing the production and acting quality, as first-rate. He explained that the movie’s characters are composite figures and “some truths are mixed up.”
acey and Jim Sturgess, the film’s young star. Jon likes the movie, citing the production and acting quality, as first-rate. He explained that the movie’s characters are composite figures and “some truths are mixed up.” Two epic derivatives spun-out from all Jon’s blackjack playing.
First, he was able to parlay his blackjack kitty into SolidWorks Corporation (a Beaupre client), founding the Massachusetts 3D CAD software company in 1993. Used by engineers to design Trek bikes, Burton snowboards and thousands of other products, SolidWorks is now a $350 million company employing over 500 people. The company was acquired by Dassault Systemes in 1997, a deal Hirschtick helped orchestrate.
Jon’s blackjack experiences were instrumental in teaching him three important lessons that helped him build a highly successful company: 1. You can win even when conventional wisdom says you can't (in other words, trust your instincts, work incredibly hard, believe in yourself). 
2. Get the money out when you have to (in other words, there's a time to go for it in business; you can't hold back and be tentative or you won't win big).
3. Even when you're playing perfectly, you don't win every hand (in other words, building a business isn't a straight line, it's a series of curves; expect challenges and disappointments along the way).
Besides the money and life/business lessons, there was yet another benefit: the girlfriend who accompanied him on many of those blackjack excursions years ago – Melissa – became his wife. Jon and Melissa have four children.
All this good fortune couldn’t happen to a nicer guy: 21.
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I just read the 
The #7 idea in next week’s Time cover story – “.gif)
Did you read the Kimberley Strassel op-ed piece in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal entitled “Spitzer’s Media Enablers?”
