This month's good stuff
You gotta stay in the game.
Hi, it’s Melissa, and welcome (back) to “your founder next door”, a weekly publication with stories and tidbits of my human journey bootstrapping eWebinar to $5m ARR. No BS, just straight-up truth bombs on what it’s like to build a company without an abundance of resources or friends in high places.
What got me thinking this month
I was catching up with one of my favorite founders in the world this week. Someone I’ve seen build multiple (consumer goods) companies from $0 to 8-figures in revenue in a few years.
We got to talking about real paydays. The kind of big exit wealth that feels surreal and completely out of reach.
I told him I couldn’t even imagine what that feels like, and joked that I wouldn’t mind finding out.
He said it’ll be fun for me, because I have hobbies and real friends. He said he’s seen people get ultra wealthy and end up miserable, because they’ve spent their life building wealth and none of it building life. They end up surrounded by people who show up for the money because they pay for all the experiences, and they never know who their real friends are. They have things, but no tight circle of friends they trust.
“Just have to be content. You never know when it’s your turn. As long as you’re in the game.” He said.
Truer words have never been said. It’s the best thing I heard this month.
You don’t get to pick your moment. You just have to keep showing up, keep building, and stay content and be happy with where you are.
If you’re doing well right now, making a good living, controlling your schedule, you’re probably already in the top 1%.
The number one rule of the game is you first gotta be in the game.
Till next time,
— Melissa ✌️
Quick tidbits
Im a huge fan of Alex Hormozi, everything he says hits and feels hard earned. I’m also a huge fan of Diary of a CEO. This month, the two came together on this podcast: The Man Who Made $100M Before 32
I had been following the story of Leopold Aschenbrenner, a 23 year old wiz kid who founded the hedge fund, Situational Awareness, and grew it to $45 billion in less than two years by betting on AI. This week was his fall from grace, which Michael Spencer wrote an interesting deep dive about:
I just reread one of my favorite pieces ever written, Reconsider, by Basecamp cofounder, DHH (David Heinemeier Hansson), which is an ode to bootstrapping. It’s just as good today as it was 10 years ago. Find it here.
This month’s articles you may have missed
Why great agencies can still suck: An agency’s output is only ever as good as your input. Three times I learned that the hard way.
Most of our problems aren’t real problems: A reminder I already knew, but needed anyway.
3 people bootstrapped to a $60m exit: The impressive story of Esben Friis-Jensen’s story of building and selling with two cofounders.
3 lessons I’m carrying into 43: What I’m taking with me into my next year, on future, surrender, and relationships.
🎙️ Season 3 of my podcast, ProfitLed, is now live. We’re exploring the intersection of Passion, Profit, and Purpose, and how those shifts as founders come into financial success.
Find it on your favorite podcast app: Apple, Spotify, YouTube
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Rowland Reeves - US Space Corporation - Sacramento, California