Originally posted here.
In early 2020, the company where I worked for the last seven years sold. I was one of the very first employees. I watched the company grow from four of us to 70. I hired at least 20 engineers and almost as many contractors. I brought on board some lifelong friends and made some new lifelong friendships. I had the most rewarding working experiences of my career.
In early 2020, the company where I worked for the last seven years sold. I was one of the very first employees. I watched the company grow from four of us to 70. I hired at least 20 engineers and almost as many contractors. I brought on board some lifelong friends and made some new lifelong friendships. I had the most rewarding working experiences of my career.
It was also the most difficult working experience of my career. There were many moments where I felt on the brink of leaving it behind. There were many more moments where I had to remind myself, “This is what you signed up for.”
Now that it’s all in the rear-view mirror, the memory of those difficulties has faded. “It’s all roses now,” I told one of my former coworkers when they asked what my memories of those years entailed. Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of time. Someday I will need to start writing down everything that I learned, as it is the hardships that provide the most education.
I look forward to many more difficult but rewarding experiences in my career, but this one will always hold a top spot, highlighted on the timeline, adorned with some kind of special emoji.
I only hinted at it in the middle of a random post, but before I left the company over the summer, they had a farewell zoom call for me and it was one of the most damn touching moments of my life. There were a lot of kind things said about me. There were even some tears.
More than the financial upside or the feather in my cap that is ushering a startup from almost nothing through an exit, that is what I’m going to remember and cherish from that time—the relationships, the human encounters, the opportunity to influence and be influenced.
Fastforward in time and I'll make the same mistake again. Index on things I think are so important only to have these short abrupt moments out of the blue. My great privilege is that I've had such moments. I think without them I would've become a bitter cynic at worst, and just less alive at best.
More Life
Indeed.
I’m going to remember and cherish from that time—the relationships, the human encounters, the opportunity to influence and be influenced.
Thank you for sharing.