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I was a typical Valley teen, in smoggy Van Nuys.

I'm originally from southern California, so I, like, say 'like', like, a lot. I've been trying to scrub any traces of Valley Girl from my speech since I moved to New York, but it's, like, totally way harder than anyone thinks, you know?

I am a bit of a Valley girl, so I say 'you know' and 'like' too much.

I'm a doofus from the Valley, a blue-collar guy.

'Happy Valley' has really changed things for me.

I was like, 'I want us to stop using that term. I'm not a 'girl gamer.' I'm just a gamer.' The reasons I love gaming are the same reasons everyone loves gaming.

When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world. And what I really liked was how it moved things on from 'Sleeping Beauty'-esque romance novels where the girl had to wait for the hero. This would be girl-driven, very different, I decided - and indeed it is.

Weirdly, my nickname was Lady. I didn't get Stretch, or Stilts, or Spider Legs - I got Lady. I guess I was always a bit ladylike.

I love what the Valley does. I love company building. I love startups. I love technology companies. I love new technology. I love this process of invention. Being able to participate in that as a founder and a product creator, or as an investor or a board member, I just find that hugely satisfying.

The valley we lived in could easily be the setting for a fantasy novel or a prairie western novel. It could be anything.