“One year!!!”
Introspections beckon as I complete a year of starting-up.
Did I get enough done? Did my assumptions play out? Did I meet my goals? Did I do ok? What more / better could I have done?
No simple answers here.
Surely, I could have done more and better. Some assumptions played out, many didn’t. Despite all our plans to the contrary, starting-up tipped the scales on everyday personal decisions.
It has been a grueling year. So, how do I really feel?
I feel that I had the time of my life! I would never trade this experience for anything else.
But ‘why’ am I loving it, if it has been so grueling? As an entrepreneur I felt the answer to this question is consequential. I dug into the ‘whys’.
A Mission That is Dear to Me
I am pursuing a mission that is very dear to me. It’s serendipity that I have found myself in challenger roles &/or companies for most of my professional life!! Beating the odds has been thrilling. But, turning that experience into a mission that can level the playing field for hundreds, maybe thousands of challengers… is the opportunity of a lifetime!!
Living the Metamorphosis of an Idea
Living the metamorphosis of an idea into a product. Oh, what a beautiful experience this is! The first business plan, the lightbulb moments, the inevitable ‘re-pivot’, testing the first feature, the child-like joy when pilot users get their hands on the product!! I am thrilled to be on this fulfilling journey of creation; it’s dotted with action, drama, suspense, frustration, heroics…
The Learning Never Stops
The transition from a senior corporate role to a startup founder feels akin to going back to school. The learning is both on the job and from ace ‘practitioners’. The ‘course curriculum’ is diverse — from the skills to build a category creating product to the building blocks & tech to build it on, to the functions a fledgling business needs. This back to school is liberating. It’s as if a new world has opened up!
New ‘Sources of Energy’
I discovered new ‘Sources of Energy’. I knew a big mission would take a village. I was humbled by the help I got. Our investors rallied behind us. Pilot customers & partners became part of the solution from the get go. Providers went the extra mile. Friends & mentors were generous with their time and expertise! In them I have found a powerful, new energy source that continuously charges my conviction!
The ‘Transformers’
Our team packs some serious punch. Each one learning at lightspeed, each one pulling off in days, sometimes even overnight, what would typically take weeks / months. Each one digging really deep to translate their strengths into constraint defying miracles. As all this plays out, I can see a culture build that is so special that I wish I could freeze in time!
The Sum of My Whys
Those are the sum of my whys!! And I am sure the team discovered, as I did, that the unwavering support & the sacrifice of the family is the foundation of all this.
The journey is just starting, and I couldn’t be more excited & inspired about the future! Stay tuned…