15 Years... and counting

As I reflect on the last 15 years, my mind is filled with thoughts and emotions. Foremost is a deep sense of gratitude for everyone who has been part of this journey.

One thing I can say with certainty: the journey has been fantastic and fulfilling. I often ask myself, “If I could go back 15 years, what would I choose to do?” Every single time, the answer is clear—I would choose to be an entrepreneur again. With the benefit of experience, I might do things a bit differently, but I would hold steadfast to the same values.

I feel like sharing a few thoughts with young entrepreneurs who may find them useful:

People

• People: The quality of people you surround yourself with determines how far and how fast you can go.
• Invest in People: The best investment in business is in people—building the right capabilities and capacities.
• Loyalty Matters: It’s the loyalty of your people to the business that helps you sail through tough times.
• Growth Bottlenecks: Ironically, as you grow, your best people can become the biggest bottlenecks if not consciously nurtured and developed.
• Work-Life Integration: I may not know about work-life balance, but I do know that the people at work have become part of my life and family—and I love it that way.

Product and GTM

• Building a Product vs. a Product Business: Building a product is difficult, but building a product business is far more challenging. Creating the product is just the beginning.
• User Experience: It’s the customer’s overall experience that defines the value of a product. Technology, scalability, or any other feature only matters if it contributes to that experience across the lifecycle.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Whatever you build or sell, remember that customers aren’t just buying what you sell—they’re buying what they need or want from someone they trust. Invest in understanding their needs and building that trust.
• The Power of Storytelling: Don’t underestimate the importance of narrative. Learn to tell interesting, impactful stories.
• Sales and Marketing: People need to know you, feel positively about you, and understand what you do well. Don’t assume that doing good work is the same as people knowing you do good work.

Investment

• The Bootstrap Dilemma: Coming from my background, taking investments wasn’t easy. Being bootstrapped is rewarding but makes for a longer, more arduous journey, with risks of burnout or irrelevance. Timing your investment decisions is critical.
• Endurance for Pressure: Investors bring the right kind of pressure, but it’s essential to be prepared to withstand and deliver under that pressure before accepting external funding.
• Align with the Right Investors: Choose investors who match your business model and growth horizon. If you’re building for the long haul, a short-term investor could create misalignment.

Risks

• Recognize Risks Early: As entrepreneurs, we often tend to overlook or downplay risks. The beauty of risk is that, if recognized early, it can open new doors. Don’t ignore risks; identify and use them to your advantage.
• The Biggest Risk is You: The biggest risk is often ourselves, followed by the key people we depend on. Replacing them can be detrimental, yet not aligning them with the business’s life stage is equally dangerous.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Here’s to more years of learning, growth, and gratitude!