Let's rewind to 2023. A fantastic year overall, with so many personal and professional wins, milestones and experiences. I felt every aspect of my life was perfect, and I was living my dream life. Then, things took a wild turn in October, shortly after I returned home after my birthday celebrations. I exited Vault Data, a startup I put my sole into. The outcome was no big surprise; I saw this coming. Yet, leaving something you built hurts nevertheless.
I was at a significant crossroads. Do I take a break, move on to build another startup, or find employment elsewhere? I felt the tug of wanderlust, itching to jet-set a year-long global adventure :). But then reality hit; I had to decide whether to keep on the entrepreneurial path or toss it all aside to indulge my travel bug. I needed to figure out what to work on. Funnily enough, I was stressed about not being stressed about the entire situation. In November, I had my Eureka moment! An idea from back in the day, even before Vault Data, that I had parked because I could not find a way to commercialise paved its way back. On the 10th of November, Day #1 of the new venture, I wrote:
"It's all in the power of your mind; learn to trust in your capabilities and instincts. Trust in Yourself!"
Despite my own words, I lost the plot many times since then. That's when it hit me: the classic founder's dilemma again. It's not the 1st time I've built a startup, not the 1st time I struggled and had days I wanted to run away from everything, and indeed, not the 1st time I felt all alone! It has been isolating and frustrating, and the weight of responsibility felt like a ton of bricks on my shoulders. But at the same time, I knew all it takes is one good shot at it and a little support from here and there from loved ones. In December, I posted about the Founders Dilemma, and I had just 2 folks check in with me out of a dozen friends. My heartfelt gratitude to you both!
The journey is a rollercoaster of emotions, full of gut-wrenching lows. Today, I have my 1st win, my 1st exhilarating high moment of this new venture, to celebrate! I woke up to good news: I'm through to the next round of pitching to 2 investors who previously backed Revolut and Airalo!
Funder's dilemma is about balancing chasing personal dreams and shouldering the weight of responsibility. And you know what? Navigating this dilemma will make you stronger, more resilient, and more determined.
It's messy, raw, and honest!
P.S. We are still in Stealth Mode.