Calluses in the Unknown
Preparing Us for What’s Yet to Come
Recently, I’ve started seeing the current times a little differently. They feel like calluses forming—painful at first, but I’m hoping they’ll serve a purpose down the line. Right now, we're at that stage of the startup journey where things are shifting. We’ve been making changes and pivoting to something new that’s still a bit unknown to us. It’s like we’re building something, but we’re not entirely sure what it will become just yet.
When I think about what others have said, like Reid Hoffman talking about how startups are like jumping off a cliff and building the plane on the way down, I see a lot of truth in that. That’s where we are—building, adjusting, not quite certain how it’s all going to come together. But the challenges we’re facing now feel like they’re part of that process, part of the preparation for when the stakes get higher.
I think about the stories from books like The Lean Startup or even Zero to One, where early pivots can feel chaotic. You don’t know if you're heading in the right direction, but you're gathering clues. It feels similar for us. The moments where nothing is clear might be the times that define us most. I can’t say for sure that all these bumps will pan out the way I hope, but it seems like every tough moment is shaping how we’ll handle the bigger challenges ahead.
In the back of my mind, I wonder if these hard lessons are going to be what helps us later on. The real test will come when it's not just about us, but the team, the customers, everyone relying on what we’re building. Maybe these calluses will be the thing that helps us push through when the unknown gets even bigger.
~09/27/2024
