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When my second company (that I never talk about) failed, I walked away with...
~$100k of credit card debt
Severe depression
I drove for Lyft to make my credit card minimum payments
My confidence was wrecked
And my son was 2 years old https://twitter.com/anothercohen/status/1178726484531453957">https://twitter.com/anotherco...
~$100k of credit card debt
Severe depression
I drove for Lyft to make my credit card minimum payments
My confidence was wrecked
And my son was 2 years old https://twitter.com/anothercohen/status/1178726484531453957">https://twitter.com/anotherco...
My job prospects were... weird
@cdixon got me in the door at @a16z where I went through 6 (8?) rounds of interviews in Q3/Q4 2014
I proposed...
Invest $100M into @mlz & @thumbtack
If possible, short @Homejoy
Wait & see on @sprig
They passed on me
@cdixon got me in the door at @a16z where I went through 6 (8?) rounds of interviews in Q3/Q4 2014
I proposed...
Invest $100M into @mlz & @thumbtack
If possible, short @Homejoy
Wait & see on @sprig
They passed on me
No other VC firm would even interview me
Because I wasn’t an engineer, I couldn’t even get PM interviews at companies where I knew the founders!
It didn’t help that I was depressed AF and my confidence was shattered
Because I wasn’t an engineer, I couldn’t even get PM interviews at companies where I knew the founders!
It didn’t help that I was depressed AF and my confidence was shattered
A few friends took pity on me and offered up consulting gigs
I needed the fucking money, but in my heart, I resented being an employee
I still desperately wanted to be a founder
And I was a shitty employee
Only one place offered me a job: Marketing manager. Pay $70k/year.
I needed the fucking money, but in my heart, I resented being an employee
I still desperately wanted to be a founder
And I was a shitty employee
Only one place offered me a job: Marketing manager. Pay $70k/year.
$70k to live in San Francisco... with a kid in daycare and ~$100k in credit card debt
I had trouble even getting job interviews
The whole thing felt hopeless
I had trouble even getting job interviews
The whole thing felt hopeless
In 2015, I hatched a plan
1) Enroll in @HackReactor, a coding boot camp
2) Pay the $35,000 tuition upfront, with a credit card (this was pre- @LambdaSchool)
3) Pay off my student pains with a cash advance from a credit card
4) Declare bankruptcy
5) Get a job
1) Enroll in @HackReactor, a coding boot camp
2) Pay the $35,000 tuition upfront, with a credit card (this was pre- @LambdaSchool)
3) Pay off my student pains with a cash advance from a credit card
4) Declare bankruptcy
5) Get a job
I remember the day in July 2015 when I called my dad to tell him my plan:
“Dad, I have failed. I am not cut out to be an entrepreneur.”
Tears are streaming down my face as I write this now, years later
It was one of the worst days of my life
But it was also weirdly freeing
“Dad, I have failed. I am not cut out to be an entrepreneur.”
Tears are streaming down my face as I write this now, years later
It was one of the worst days of my life
But it was also weirdly freeing
For the first time in a long time, I had a plan. I was back in control!
The prospect of bankruptcy sucked
But 7 years of financial bad luck seemed a helluva lot better than a decade of debt slavery
Bankruptcy was also bounded & clear in way that the alternative was not
The prospect of bankruptcy sucked
But 7 years of financial bad luck seemed a helluva lot better than a decade of debt slavery
Bankruptcy was also bounded & clear in way that the alternative was not
It was a good plan!
I felt relieved
Until... I got a text from @TheRoboLinda
A mutual friend had introduced us
We’d both interviewed for the same job @a16z
She wanted to start a robotics company
I pitched her on dishwashing robots for restaurants
Over a random lunch
I felt relieved
Until... I got a text from @TheRoboLinda
A mutual friend had introduced us
We’d both interviewed for the same job @a16z
She wanted to start a robotics company
I pitched her on dishwashing robots for restaurants
Over a random lunch
The DAY AFTER I called my dad
She texted me
“OMG remember that idea you had? awesome idea! Let’s do it as a startup!”
Me: OH HELL NO
She talked me into it
...the rest is a story for another day
She texted me
“OMG remember that idea you had? awesome idea! Let’s do it as a startup!”
Me: OH HELL NO
She talked me into it
...the rest is a story for another day
But don’t tell me that being an employee is riskier than being a founder
Maybe if you’re the kind of founder who went from Stanford to Facegoogle to your funded-on-day-one startup
But I know several founders—and zero employees—who’ve dealt with worse
/fin
Maybe if you’re the kind of founder who went from Stanford to Facegoogle to your funded-on-day-one startup
But I know several founders—and zero employees—who’ve dealt with worse
/fin
To everyone who’s responded to this
You’ve been so kind and encouraging
I cried as I wrote this, remembering back to this time
Your grateful notes and personal stories mean a lot to me
It feels like the best of twitter
THANK YOU for the love
Truly
You’ve been so kind and encouraging
I cried as I wrote this, remembering back to this time
Your grateful notes and personal stories mean a lot to me
It feels like the best of twitter
THANK YOU for the love
Truly
After this thread went viral, I talked about my journey with @AndrewWarner on @Mixergy
Watch & listen to the full story here https://mixergy.com/interviews/live-with-matt-mireles/">https://mixergy.com/interview...
Watch & listen to the full story here https://mixergy.com/interviews/live-with-matt-mireles/">https://mixergy.com/interview...
Thx man!
