10 Comments
Mar 4Liked by Annie

It has been two years since I closed my startup and feel I am still lost in a limbo of not finding the right place to call my corporate home. Can be very frustrating and mentally challenging. Thanks for sharing your story. Helps a little knowing I am not the only one feeling this way.

Expand full comment
author

Hi Matt, you're definitely not the only one. It continues to be a journey for me to, but we're both learning along the way I'm sure

Expand full comment
Mar 5Liked by Annie

Loved these thoughts. Especially getting and asking for feedback and not jumping in. I sold my business almost 20y ago now and it was just an interesting time.

Expand full comment

Much wisdom here that comes from experience :) My own journey after stepping down as a CEO was very different, but some lessons are the same, especially deep reflection on what matters and what motivates

Expand full comment

Hi Annie, what an incredible read. I’m a big believer that even our hardest experiences give us strength and help make who we are in the long term - so I love that you’ve looked for the lessons in all of this.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you, I agree with you on the hardest experiences. Appreciate the feedback

Expand full comment

This was such a great piece, thanks for sharing. I think I’m going through a similar muddle - while I run a non-profit and not a startup, I’ve been thinking hard about my next steps. You’ve definitely given me more to consider and think about!

Expand full comment
author

Hi Sarah, so pleased it resonated and was food for thought. It's a confusing journey - and there's no right path. The better decisions I made were from a place of curiosity, and the worst ones were from fear/boredom. Thanks for the feedback

Expand full comment

Wow. Im so glad i found this article. Im going through something very similar right now. Thank you for sharing such important learnings x

Expand full comment

Annie, this is a really candid piece of reflections. I am not sure how I found this post but I'm glad I did. I am no ex- startup founder. I spent most of my 20s bouncing between corporate incubators and built multiple ventures (all failed), so to an extent I could relate to where you are coming from. So much of your written words resonate with me and I thank you for that. I will start to adopt "rich in learning" as one of my philosophies, as both a process and outcome for my curiosity. I too really valued progress (I think I am a product of silicon valley hustle culture for better or for worse) and I am now 6 months into working a role in an environment where I feel like a "caged bull". I have been working word to see this experience as a "learning" but deep down I know it's time to move on and there are few justifications there as much as I want there to be.

Expand full comment