birkner
DIS Veteran
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- Jan 22, 2006
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Sometimes I quietly despair about the youth of America. Today I am inspired as I read this inspirational post for any budding entrepreneur or someone thinking about being an entrepreneur written by our nephew Rob.
The Last 5 Years
by Rob Sandie on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 9:29pm
I write about this, as I reflect on the challenge of personal time vs. startup time as Viddler turns into a 5 year+ activity.
Going from a sprint and then switching into marathon mode mid race has had its challenges and changes in mindset.. Heres some of it..
2006. Fresh out of Lehigh, 22 years old, pushing on Viddler as a startup in the first year, it was 100% Viddler and everything else is including family and friends went on hold. I even stopped drinking a sip of alcohol for a year straight during this period. We raise minimal funds. With less than a $100k budget we launch Viddler.
2007. Second year, still 100%, yet I might have returned phone calls to parents back home in California and went out every month or so. Investors like growth but only commit to 3 months of runway at a time. Very stressful, but push hard and more committed then ever. I remember going to sleep at 2am and waking up at 8am during this time.
2008. Third year, like shingles falling from a space shuttle, it starts to wear down. Still very committed to Viddler in Bethlehem, PA but its hard to maintain a nice balance with family in California and no significant salary to take many trips back home to see them. The 6 sleep schedule begins to take its tole as I drink 3 coffees and 2 Monster drinks per day I have heart flutters. I see a doctor who tells me to sleep more and take less caffeine. Also during this period, I am starting to realize I have aged faster then any other point in my life.
2009. Fourth year, the hardest. It seems like a second ago I was in college and had many friends in arms reach. That all seems distant. Viddler needs the more focus then ever to get cashflow positive, yet family life needs attention too. True tension at its highest. I think many times to when I tore my ACL/MCL/PCL and came back for fourth year against doctors recommendation to play football. I can do this. Still not profitable. Investors are pushing for profitability and its been 3 years, 3 months at a time. Its starting to take its tole.
2010. Fifth year, break profitability. Its a relief. No longer beholden to the next round of investors. Still no expendable income for personal activities and employees around me deserve salary bumps more then I do due to shared sacrifice over last 4 years. I tell myself if this becomes a big exit I can spend much more time with family/friends then ever before later in life. Sleep schedule is nice though. I start to wake up when I want to and leave work when I feel I need to. I start running 5 miles a day, and get in control of my health.
I dont write this to vent at all. I feel very fortunate in so many ways to be where I am at today ..
To be honest, have been inspired by Zappos audiobook lately and the amount of self awareness and transparency Tony Hsieh provides. I write this to provide insight into what life has been like last 5 years so others may get a glimpse into the shifts in mindset as a startup scrappishly mature
The Last 5 Years
by Rob Sandie on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 9:29pm
I write about this, as I reflect on the challenge of personal time vs. startup time as Viddler turns into a 5 year+ activity.
Going from a sprint and then switching into marathon mode mid race has had its challenges and changes in mindset.. Heres some of it..
2006. Fresh out of Lehigh, 22 years old, pushing on Viddler as a startup in the first year, it was 100% Viddler and everything else is including family and friends went on hold. I even stopped drinking a sip of alcohol for a year straight during this period. We raise minimal funds. With less than a $100k budget we launch Viddler.
2007. Second year, still 100%, yet I might have returned phone calls to parents back home in California and went out every month or so. Investors like growth but only commit to 3 months of runway at a time. Very stressful, but push hard and more committed then ever. I remember going to sleep at 2am and waking up at 8am during this time.
2008. Third year, like shingles falling from a space shuttle, it starts to wear down. Still very committed to Viddler in Bethlehem, PA but its hard to maintain a nice balance with family in California and no significant salary to take many trips back home to see them. The 6 sleep schedule begins to take its tole as I drink 3 coffees and 2 Monster drinks per day I have heart flutters. I see a doctor who tells me to sleep more and take less caffeine. Also during this period, I am starting to realize I have aged faster then any other point in my life.
2009. Fourth year, the hardest. It seems like a second ago I was in college and had many friends in arms reach. That all seems distant. Viddler needs the more focus then ever to get cashflow positive, yet family life needs attention too. True tension at its highest. I think many times to when I tore my ACL/MCL/PCL and came back for fourth year against doctors recommendation to play football. I can do this. Still not profitable. Investors are pushing for profitability and its been 3 years, 3 months at a time. Its starting to take its tole.
2010. Fifth year, break profitability. Its a relief. No longer beholden to the next round of investors. Still no expendable income for personal activities and employees around me deserve salary bumps more then I do due to shared sacrifice over last 4 years. I tell myself if this becomes a big exit I can spend much more time with family/friends then ever before later in life. Sleep schedule is nice though. I start to wake up when I want to and leave work when I feel I need to. I start running 5 miles a day, and get in control of my health.
I dont write this to vent at all. I feel very fortunate in so many ways to be where I am at today ..
To be honest, have been inspired by Zappos audiobook lately and the amount of self awareness and transparency Tony Hsieh provides. I write this to provide insight into what life has been like last 5 years so others may get a glimpse into the shifts in mindset as a startup scrappishly mature
We are booked for early dining now, but the more I think about it, I want to switch it to late (and possibly use the nursery for our 15-month old). Any guidance from what you saw on your WBTA?? (I can totally see our 5-year-old ditching us for the fast meal option - and most importantly, we want those dining around us to have pleasant dining experiences)
I hope they do release some soon as I hate playing the waiting game, I need to have everything organised & booked asap....it's my OCD side! (Hence my tag from the tag fairy. 
)
I know you shouldn't do it the other way as they would just cancel the return part if you don't show for the outbound! John was wondering about booking the return from Orlando for this year before I remembered the reward flight.
