Founder’s Dance with George Levin #4

I hope you had a productive and fulfilling week. My week ended with a high fever, reminding me we can't do it all and must take care of ourselves. Nevertheless, I will try to finish the newsletter while lying in bed with a fever of 39 degrees.

Startup Hacks: Embracing Uncertainty

Many early-stage founders believe that success follows a logical, linear path: set a goal, work towards it, and overcome obstacles. However, this perception can lead to frustration because startup life is uncertain and rarely goes as planned.

After 12 years of building startups, I've found the path to success looks more like this:

• Nothing is clear, but you keep going, day by day, doing what makes sense at the moment.

• Your actions might open up opportunities, and in a year or two, something might happen (not always as a direct result of your efforts) that shifts your startup's trajectory forward.

So, in the early days, focus on short-term planning and doing whatever it takes to keep the startup alive. Be patient and see where it takes you. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not money that keeps a startup going—it’s the founders' positive attitude that fuels the energy to continue.

Product Spotlight: Rethinking Education

I recently met the founder of The Bina School, a globally accredited virtual school for kids aged 4 to 12. They run it like a startup, with VC funding and focusing on typical metrics like CAC, LTV, and retention—but it’s still a school. This shows that startups can tackle a wide range of problems.

Bina addresses the gap between how kids are traditionally taught and the skills they need in adult life. All classes are on Zoom, with students and teachers from diverse cultures. They teach collaboration, cultural sensitivity, giving feedback, managing emotions, financial literacy, and more.

Founder Friends: Humor that Sells

Today, I want to spotlight my friend Misha Koroteev's business. For new readers, this section features my friends' startups without telling them beforehand—it's always a surprise, and often they find out weeks later.

Now, onto the business: VeryVertical, a creative studio that makes funny shows to sell products. Their motto is "Big ideas for small screens." They create hilarious ads that you want to share. I firmly believe humor is the most effective way to sell. Check out their ad for themselves—it's a perfect example.

Life Snippets: Finding Joy in Simplicity

The last few months have been overwhelming with work. Every minute was planned, which added some pressure to my life.

This Wednesday, I had a rare free evening—the first in a long time. Knowing I had two hours to myself felt like pure joy. I realized that my stress levels had lowered my threshold for joy; simply not feeling stressed was enough to make me happy.

It reminded me of a solo retreat a few years ago when I locked myself in a forest cabin without the internet for several days. After three days of doing nothing—just drinking tea and looking at snowy trees—I suddenly felt content. I dropped my threshold for joy to zero, finding immense satisfaction in simple tasks like cooking, brewing tea, or making a fire.

Culture Corner: Rewiring Pleasure and Reward

If you connected with the story above, you might find it interesting that there's a simple explanation for feeling happy after stress: experiencing discomfort can actually increase dopamine levels and reset the brain's reward system. That's why activities involving pain or discomfort—like exercise, fasting, or cold exposure—can trigger dopamine release after the initial unpleasantness.

This process is discussed in the fascinating book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Dr. Anna Lembke. She talks about "dopamine fasting" as a way to reset the brain’s reward system by temporarily abstaining from stimulating activities like social media or junk food. The idea is to reduce overconsumption, which can lead to tolerance, meaning the brain requires more stimulation to feel the same reward. Taking a break gives your brain a chance to recalibrate, making every day, less intense activities more satisfying. Dopamine fasting helps reduce dependency on constant stimulation, re-sensitizing the brain to life's natural highs.

Mind Bender: Aristotle’s Take on Leisure

Aristotle believed leisure is essential to a virtuous life, seeing it as more valuable than work. He suggested that leisure should be used for intellectual and creative pursuits, like philosophy, music, or poetry, contributing to personal growth. He contrasted this with idle or superficial pleasures, which he viewed as less meaningful.

This idea has stayed with me for a long time. I've always tried to find leisure activities that are both relaxing and enriching. I believe writing this newsletter and other content has become that kind of leisure activity for me.

Wishing you a great week ahead—stay focused, be productive, and take care of yourself!

Speak soon,

George,

September 15, 2024. Brooklyn Heights.