Bursts of Color - Just Okay

Last week a friend joked that:

I think this is a solid motto for our time. And if nothing else, re-watching the ads is good for a laugh.

Several of you recently raised capital at prices you hadn’t seen in 1-2 years, and well below what you had expected in February. Congratulations! I hope you recognize this for the win that it is. Similarly, many of you have cut salaries. Of course that hurts… but down 30% is better than down 100%, right? Heck, even those of you who are growing like crazy right now are struggling to keep the wheels on (e.g., 2 weeks is the new 2 days for Amazon shipping).

I was into fencing as a kid. Yes, the goofy sport with swords. At age 14 I went to my first big tournament along with ten other kids from the local club. I was the worst fencer on the team and couldn’t imagine how that would ever change. Sure enough, I was out first at that tournament… and all the others that year, too. But over the next few years, I kept showing up to practice while, one by one, my teammates quit. Only two of us fenced in college. And only one of us finished. This isn’t a story about hidden talent, special training or even grit. It’s just a story about showing up, one day at a time.

Of course we should all keep aiming high and do the best we can. By all means, let’s win the new customer, give an inspiring presentation on Zoom, ship the new feature on time and crush our morning workout. But if and when we fall short, let’s be kind to ourselves and try again tomorrow.

Hey, sometimes newsletter content is just okay, too. :-)