I joined a business someone started, personally invested $200k, and forwent income for a year. This is after leaving a prestigious finance job after 5-6 years in the industry and quitting a senior role at a Fintech.

Company’s sales is flat, and it’s running out of money. If this doesn’t work out, I’m a guy who quit the previous start-up (not doing very well rn) after 1 year, blew money, and joined another one that’s also not doing well.

I feel like I’m not employable and that maybe my judgment is poor. Has anyone experienced or gone through this?

  • Simon_Small@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I think part of the fear is across a few areas: 1) you fear losing the money; 2) you fear you won’t get a job; 3) you fear you have wasted time; 4) you fear the sequence of startup experiences pain a picture of you as a failure; 5) you fear this company won’t be successful (sales are flat).

    1. the money is gone. It’s not coming back. There is nothing to fear. It just is what it is. Can’t do anything about it now.
    2. the only way you could have wasted time was if you spent it doing destructive things instead of productive things. You don’t know what you have prepared yourself for so you have not wasted time. You banked time moving things forward, learning fast, adapting. Nothing wasted.
    3. the job thing is an illusion. It is super easy to sell yourself in your CV and your job. Have the best stories when someone says “why did you leave that job?” You will fly though - people live risk takers.
    4. same as 2 - just work out the narrative and some key annecdotal stories and you will be fine. Dust yourself off. Ask ChatGPT for some help and learn to present yourself strongly and own your experience.
    5. this company is not dead. If it is sales you need, then all hands to the pump. I have been at rock bottom with a company and within a couple of years it became a juggernaut and today it is worth $7bn. It ain’t over yet.

    Big part is you owning your fear and then figuring out how to cut through despite that fear being present.

    Appreciate the post - I think we all get something from an authentic post like this.

    • LawScuulJuul@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Thanks for this. I’m dealing with similar fears and this is really helpful. It’s easy to fall into a default fear-driven mindset, almost subconsciously. Sometimes feels pretty hopeless. Thanks.

      • Simon_Small@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Glad you found it useful. If you can isolate money and time fears into separate tracks and deal with them independent of one another, then it is easier to then deal with what’s left over…. That’s what I have found…

    • LawScuulJuul@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Thanks for this. I’m dealing with similar fears and this is really helpful. It’s easy to fall into a default fear-driven mindset, almost subconsciously. Sometimes feels pretty hopeless. Thanks.