Founder’s Dance with George Levin #18

Author

George Levin
December 22, 2024

As the holiday season approaches, I reflect on my journey as a founder. It's been an emotional rollercoaster since launching my first startup in 2013.

Anyone who has started a business knows how hard it is. And those who’ve done it more than once understand that it often doesn’t make sense economically. The odds of success—whether through an acquisition or building a profitable company—are slim. Yet, the energy, time, sacrifices, and courage it takes are enormous.

So why do we choose this path? Building products is a form of self-expression, much like how artists dedicate their lives to creating the perfect masterpiece. From this perspective, the only way for founders to avoid burnout is to find joy in the process, regardless of the outcome.

Obsessing over results or comparing yourself to others only leads to unhappiness. Failure makes you feel inadequate, while success can leave you questioning whether it is worth the sacrifice. Across the four startups I've launched, I’ve been on both sides.

For the past three years, I’ve been exploring how to keep building startups while enjoying the process. Creating a startup as an art form, like music or dance, should be playful. You don’t work the piano; you play it. You don’t dance to reach a destination; you dance for the joy of dancing.

This philosophy inspired the name of this newsletter: Founder’s Dance.

Enjoying the dance doesn’t mean I don’t want to sell startups or build wealth—I absolutely do. But I believe that I can achieve both by dancing beautifully, staying in rhythm, and paying attention to those around me.

Of course, enjoying the dance isn’t easy when facing constant pain: client and investor rejections, letting go of team members, managing cash flow gaps, or watching months of work go to waste after a failed experiment.

The key is to shift your perspective. Don’t see challenges as pain—view them as learning opportunities. Failures aren’t personal; they’re signals to adjust and grow.

Adopting this mindset takes patience, wisdom, and strength. Knowing I’m cultivating these qualities while dancing keeps me moving forward with CRMchat, even through setbacks.

A Big Change to This Newsletter

I realize that for some readers, this might sound like philosophical rambling. Where are the numbers? The use cases? Even I struggle with this contradiction: I want to share practical, actionable insights, but I also want to explore broader thoughts and feelings.

To resolve this, I’m making some changes to the newsletter.

Starting next week, this newsletter will shift to a freer, more essay-style format. It will blend 50% startup content with 50% reflections on life, culture, and ideas. I want it to feel lighter, more flexible, and less constrained by formal sections like “Startup Hacks” or “Product Spotlight.”

At the same time, in January, I’ll launch a new, focused newsletter for those seeking detailed, practical startup advice. It will be part of a paid subscription plan and go beyond a newsletter—subscribers will gain access to monthly calls, a private group, and office hours.

The newsletter will cover nine key topics

  1. How to come up with an idea

  2. How to test the idea

  3. How to find co-founders

  4. How to launch a startup

  5. How to iterate

  6. How to hire a team

  7. How to raise funding

  8. How to do sales and marketing

  9. How to sell a company

I’ll share more details in next Sunday’s newsletter.

Happy holidays, and see you soon!

George

December 22, 2024. Brooklyn Heights.

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