We're founders. So that means we're in it for life. If we fail, we fail repeatedly till we get it right. If we break, we fix it or find someone smarter who can. We sell the hard shit but if we realize there are holes we iterate and treat it like it's living and not like it's made of stone.
Somehow we magically make this happen usually without having a ton of money. For it is the depths and desperation for success with no parachute that clear the air of the wantrepreneurs. We build things always, like artisans. Not when its convenient and the market asks for us. But because we identify opportunities to win, big or small.
We don't need to be in Silicon Valley, or New York to win either. We don't need fancy investors, or offices. We need great product, excited talent, and a unique energy in the air whether it's a living room or the Chrysler building.
People need to feel this in the air, and within a few seconds of using your product. You make this for someone, and that someone doesn't have to be you. We don't need followers we need believers, we create the religion. Oh yeah, and it has to work.
Don't try and figure out why we do it. You'll never find rational sense doing it. If you don't get it you probably never will. We sacrifice literally every other human enjoyment to win, and for what? Because it's what we feel meant to do. We make it look easy but this is the hardest thing ever.
It's the people along the way either become absolutely crucial to our success or one of the reasons we fail. We gamble on the best people we can find to help tell the story, but you quickly learn that the potential for great talent to thrive truly lives within your companies culture.
We also have to remain humble and ready to listen. Being so close to our life's work also makes us extremely emotional about it. Nothing like someone telling us the most obvious critique that we've missed the entire time because we just have been so "heads down."
It's hard but don't complain about it.
It'll all be worth it.