Reading Time: 2 minutes
I was recently reflecting back on key life experiences when I remembered that I had co-founded and run a tech startup in the early 2000s. This was before the idea of Web 2.0 had been popularized and web platforms were a lot clunkier than they are today. It was at the start of the wave of startups that were looking to remove the middleman and allow customers to interact directly. So, how you might ask, had I forgotten it? The memory was still there at some level but it seems like I had locked the experience away in a compartment labelled “No further use” and didn’t feel there were any lessons to be drawn. The fact that the start-up was ultimately unsuccessful and failed as most start-ups do may have contributed. And yet as I look back through what the team achieved and more importantly learnt there are a host of lessons to be drawn. It was in effect the MBA I never did. A hands-on 2-year intensive study on creating and delivering on a vision. On team dynamics and motivation. On success and failure. And ultimately on moving on. There was a point when we had to accept that the dream was gone and that we had missed the last train. So many lessons that can help me and my clients today. So, just an invitation to take 5 minutes to reflect back on some part of your life that you’ve put in the “No further use” bin. You may be surprised what you find!!
