"Build yourself before your company"

The first time I launched a company my desk was a canyon of empty coffee mugs and sticky notes, my reflector light always on. I chased product-market fit like a compass needle and paid no attention to the frayed threads in my leadership. Investors noticed spreadsheets and hustle but not the way my voice tightened under pressure.

When that venture folded I sat in a park at dawn and listened to pigeons argue over bread. I started therapy, learned to admit when I did not know something, and practiced giving credit out loud. My team noticed the difference; meetings became shorter and the air less electric with fear. We built processes that allowed people to be curious rather than defensive.

The second time I built the company I built myself first.