In the nine months leading up to COVID smashing the U.S, I was part of a mental-health startup. We were trying to create tools to lower the barrier into support group organization. We imagined a world where it was as easy to organize and operate a support group as it was to organize a meet-up.

We imagined groups for all kinds of reasons. People trying to quit drinking, or people who've quit drinking and want to stay that way. Mothers with children who work full-time. People with skin conditions. People who'd just lost someone to death. Pretty much anything.

The team had about 4-8 members depending on when you peaked your head into the office. But for the most part the core team was around 4-5 members. The 

CEO

role, which meant the glue tying us together, was filled by a strategist at a large medical devices company in his mid-forties. Another of the core members was none other than 

williamliao

 who was brought in to handle all things data. And then there was me, to handle all things software... that is until we would grow large enough that we could afford other developers.