The author, who recently left his job at Doublepoint, decided to co-found a startup called Skald with Pedrique, with whom he had been working on a project for over six months. Initially excited about their business idea, the author soon realized that his primary motivation was the desire to be an entrepreneur rather than a specific product vision. Faced with Pedrique's financial urgency, they opted to raise funds from angel investors, including connections from their previous jobs, rather than pursuing a longer, more organic development process. They secured backing from notable figures, including the co-founders of PostHog and Doublepoint, as well as Broom Ventures. As time progressed, they encountered challenges with their pivot and struggled to monetize their open-source project. The author faced mental strain, feeling pressure from the perception of success in the startup world and the expectations placed upon him by investors and peers. He reflected on the discomfort of being a founder, realizing that the weight of expectations — often self-imposed — was affecting his productivity and decision-making. Instead of focusing on the core mission and understanding their customer base, he found himself preoccupied with growth metrics and comparisons to other startups achieving rapid success. Through introspection, the author recognized that the pressure he felt was counterproductive. He understood that investors believed in him and his ability to build a successful business, regardless of the specific idea they pitched. Instead of chasing quick growth, he decided to refocus on their original goals and the community they aimed to build, emphasizing a strategic approach to their business rather than succumbing to emotional responses driven by external comparisons.