Was It Worth It? What I Gave Up to Build This
First they doubt you. Then they hate you… for being right. But no one ever really talks about what happens in between.
There's that seductive startup mantra:
"Work 80 hours for yourself so you don't have to work 40 for someone else."
Sure - but let's be honest: that's the bumper sticker version. The full story? It's messier. More brutal. More beautiful. It comes with a cost most people never see coming.
And it looks a little something like this:
Founders love to glorify the early spike - the "TechCrunch of Initiation," the dopamine hit of early users, the excitement of novelty.
But the truth? Most of the journey lives in the flatline. That long, lonely trench called the Trough of Sorrow.
That's where momentum dies, motivation fades, and sacrifices quietly pile up.
When younger founders (yes, even younger than me - 17-year-olds are out here raising real rounds) ask for advice, I tell them this:
Know the difference between a business and a startup.
A business can sustain. A startup is built on borrowed time and borrowed money - with the hope that both won't run out before the "Promised Land."
Raising capital? It sounds glamorous. But it's a loaded contract: You deliver, or you die trying.
And when you're deep in the valley - here's what gets traded without you even realizing it:
- Friendships
- Relationships
- Mental bandwidth
- Childhood dreams (RIP my post-grad trip to Thailand)
As Fullmetal Alchemist put it:
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return."
That quote haunts me. Because most of the sacrifices come slow - and they come without warning.
I've given up more than I've gained. All for a 10% shot at building something that lasts.
So was it worth it?
I still don't know.
But if you're reading this while navigating your own Crash of Ineptitude or clinging to a "Wiggle of False Hope," know this:
You're not crazy. You're just building.
This is The Founder's Paradox.