It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn: Hang in There

It’s ugly right now in Silicon Valley. The VC money train is over and lots of startup founders and employees used to the ZIRP era environment of cash are facing the harsh reality of a down cycle. Layoffs abound, runways are getting short and founders are getting desperate. It’s a tough spot to be in and the pressure is high. It’s easy to despair during these times.

I faced this back in 2001, after getting laid off and unemployed for 6 months, down to my last $500 usd in the bank. It sucked. I admit that year was the only other year beyond 2020 that I seriously thought of offing myself. Things looked that bad. It was dark and all I felt was a massive sense of failure and shame. Literally no hope.

But I hustled and ended up through luck at Yahoo! which transformed my career and ultimately my life. My life was never the same after in a good way. In fact it has been a wondrous adventure overall.

It’s so easy to give up in life and you think things can’t get any worse. Yet, sometimes it does. However it’s all up to you. You can quit or You have to reach down deep. Remember the reason you are around: your mission. If you are a startup founder looking into the abyss, don’t hide or isolate yourself.

Go exercise, get some sun, go talk to fellow founder friends. And believe in yourself and fate. All you can do is your best and the rest is not up to you. There is something freeing about that. And also remind yourself things always change. You have to be there when the cycle turns as it always does.

Nothing is permanent except for death. Keep going and worse case you go down fighting, this may be the dent you leave in the world.

As Seneca said: “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”