The romanticism placed behind startups these days makes it easy to believe in overnight success, but anyone whose built a successful enterprise will tell you otherwise. For most it's an unforgiving grind that spits out the best of us while those who make it through each business stage attest to rarefied air that making it another year brings. At one point you look around and realize nearly everyone in your cohort didn't make it. At those points it's important to reflect and remember what it took to get to where you're at.
I was fortunate that the good people at Google Startup Grind asked me to share my journey with a group of entrepreneurs. Reflecting back on the journey was refreshing as well as eye opening. You can see the talk in its entirety below and I've summed it up here: It's been a hell of a lot of work that at times was scary, crazy, and stressful- I don't really remember those days well as much as the emotions. What outweighs it all has been the sense of purpose, accomplishment, and wonder that has come with a life lived on my own terms.