Many people blog to share some elements of their success. When it comes to startups, I am far from Mark Zuckerberg. I have been involved in technology startups for 25 years. While I’ve made a good living at it, I’m not writing this from my yacht in the Caribbean or my ski lodge in Vail. Even if I had that kind of success, it’s not my style. Also, I’d rather know about what pitfalls to avoid as a startup employee or founder, so this blog will focus on education. As I leave the startup I cofounded, TriggerMesh, I have no regrets, just a lot of things I learned.
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
– Henry Ford
I have co-founded and been funded by venture capitalists and served as an executive at both public and private companies. Had both successful exits, as well as watched my shares of startup stock become worthless.
What I am grateful for so far is not the results, but the journey. I have met some amazing people. Traveled the world and learned a lot. As I prepare for the next chapter in my career, I thought I’d put a lot of my thoughts down on paper (figuratively, if not literally).
I am not sure what I want to do next. In general, I know that I want to work in tech, I want to work with a team that I respect and is collaborative, and I want to do something that makes me feel good. I suspect that’s what everyone should strive for.
Writing is among my favorite things to do. When I was younger, I didn’t have much to say, and as I get older, I have more substantive thoughts to put onto paper (even if figuratively). Hopefully, someone will benefit from reading about my experiences.
In the meantime, I will take a short break, and spend some time with my family and my dog. Also, I hope to cultivate my writing skills. Hopefully, as I write, it will help me figure out my next move, and perhaps I can help someone else with the benefit of my experience.
So for now, I will put pen to paper or fingers on the keyboard, and share some of my thoughts. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from anyone interested in chatting. Also, you may get some ramblings on my dog, Woodford, and my other random pursuits, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Ford four-wheel drives.
Woodford the Sheepadoodle