Success Helps Ease the Pain
So this one is more an observation.
In startups, the ratio of things that actually work and things you try is mostly small. Companies go through difficult times, often lasting for months or sometimes even more than a year. Your product isn’t working. Your user-base is not growing. You’re getting a constant barrage of negative feedback from your users about your product. The team morale is low. Employees are frustrated and some are considering leaving. Leadership is also frustrated with employees and employees are frustrated with the leadership. Overall there’s a ton of negativity. People are complaining. Some are gossiping. You see people taking long deliberation walks.
When things aren’t working at the larger level, every small instance of pain magnifies. A small HR policy change, removal of free food or a perk, a leave not being approved, a promotion not granted… they all pinch a lot more when the larger picture is bleak.
Let’s compare this to when things are looking great.
Your product has found its place in the market. Users love it. Good feedback is pouring in. Reviews look great. You yourself are happy with the quality of the product. Team sees the external validation coming in from users, the congratulatory messages from the Leadership. So what if we skipped a meal to get that important launch out on time? It’s okay if we needed to work on a Saturday to fix that bug. Sure we can work late nights to debug the issue that came up at the last moment. All because we’re winning… it’s a march towards success.
When you’re winning, you don’t remember the pain you endured along the way. And if you do, it at least makes for a sweet memory. When you’re losing, no amount of pain feels worth it.