SMH
A few weeks ago, Indie VC founder Bryce Roberts posted an epic photo from his operating days, which involved an ad campaign for famed Scotch Dewar’s:
Later that day, I was chatting about this post with another friend and we started sharing various “SMH” moments in our careers — moments that seem so unbelievable that the only sane reaction is to shake my head.
After more than 20 years in Startupland™, I’ve come to realize that these crazy, unbelievable experiences are one of the reasons why so many people love startups. When you’re in an industry that attracts the most ambitious outliers in the world, the likelihood of crazy stuff happening is so high that it’s not actually that unusual.
There are some moments that are shared by many founders, such as the first time you found yourself in the Sand Hill Road office of a world-famous VC, or the first time you met a “celebrity” founder that you’d always admired (bonus points if you eventually became peers or even friends). Then there are those moments that are a part of your personal journey, each one shared with only a handful of people.
Some moments are triumphant; others are tragic. Some are just too ridiculous to be believed. But they’re a big part of what makes startups so fun and fulfilling. And these experiences — good, bad or just plain ridiculous — weave their way through the tapestry of our lives so frequently that most outside of the industry can hardly believe it. But to fellow residents of Startupland™, a knowing nod and SMH is par for the course.
I started off intending to share some of my own SMH moments, but quickly realized that what was emerging was more of a cringy humble-brag post. So rather than rattle off a list of memories, I’ll share some thoughts on why I think this matters.
Startups are hard. They really are. They’re all-encompassing, financially and emotionally stressful and many of our friends and family members simply can’t relate. But they’re also inspiring, exciting and invigorating. The opportunity to literally change the world is why so many of us are drawn to this life.
We often speak of the rollercoaster of startups — with their incredible highs and lows. I find that it can be difficult to fully appreciate either one in the moment (when things are going well, we’re too busy to really enjoy it…and when things are crashing and burning, we’re just trying to put out the fire!). But over time, these moments eventually become the stories that power us to greater and greater heights.
In times of stress, reconnecting with the friends and colleagues with whom you share such memories can be an incredible way to reset. With enough time, even the most challenging moments can become fond memories that form part of a heroic story (“Remember that time we almost lost all of MySpace’s data and Vaibhav figured out a way to recover the missing files from the damaged hard drives?”)
Actual photo circa 2009 of Vaibhav Nivargi (current CTO and Cofounder of Moveworks), saving ~100TB of MySpace’s data (“Dude…why are you bothering me?”)
It’s easier said than done, but if you’re going through a founder moment that seems absolutely surreal, do your best to enjoy it. If your startup just survived an existential crisis, take an extra moment to pat yourself (and everyone around you) on the back for making it through.
And if you’re feeling a little nostalgic, don’t hesitate to call a former coworker and reminisce about that time famed superangel and Silicon Valley heavyweight Ron Conway stopped by the office on his birthday, and you rushed out to by him a cake…at Safeway 🎂.
Happy birthday Ron!