A quick run-through of my journey so far
FOUNDER STORY
I'm Israel Mark. My nickname is Markos, and I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago.
THE FIRST WIN
At 15, I won a national design competition. My entry became the official brand identity for the Biomedical Engineering Unit at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. The prize was cash and a new phone, but what stuck with me was that you can create value digitally, from anywhere. That was it for me. I fell in love with design.
RUNNING AN AGENCY
By 18, I started a creative media agency. I did work for Nike, Red Bull, Gfuel, and creators like KSI, PewDiePie, and Ninja. I managed a fully remote global team, learned to sell, close deals, and run a profitable business. Working closely with creators also showed me that online influence is a valuable currency. So I decided to build my own.
GIVING IT AWAY
At 21, I sold my agency and pivoted to posting my videos online. I would go out pretending to be homeless or in need, and whoever stopped to help me, I would reward them with cash. At my peak, I was giving away multiple six figures. To this day, nobody in the Caribbean has done anything like it. The videos spread everywhere, and I became known as the guy who gives away money and blesses people. My name carried real trust.
Scammers noticed that too.
THE DARK SIDE OF TRUST
By 2024, they were stealing my videos to run fake giveaways and investment schemes on social media. People already believed I gave freely, so the scams worked. Thousands of dollars were lost. Fans came to me angry and hurt, convinced I was behind it. Some even sued me. It was chaotic.
BUILDING PRIOR
I'm now applying everything I've learned and creating a new project called Prior. It helps people anticipate anything: sports, markets, decisions, even the messy personal stuff. It pulls context, runs simulations, and gives you the sharpest weighted outcomes. My goal is to create the most powerful predictive intelligence in existence.
You can visit www.prior.chat to experience it for yourself. Let me know if it sucks or if it impresses you.
Israel "Markos" Mark ยท Founder, Prior Software Inc.