Member-only story
Is the journey really the gift?
A field report from an entrepreneur who has yet to get to the destination
You may have stumbled upon the story of the co-founder of Loom who for the past year—after selling his video messaging app to Atlassian for nearly a billion dollars—felt an emptiness of purpose with more money than he would ever know what to do with.
And if you haven’t read that story, you’ve certainly read a story like that. Of the founder who persevered through years of turmoil to finally reach the financial mountaintop.
Of the risks she took.
Of his lowest moments.
Moments of self-doubt.
But ultimate triumph.
And looking back in the rear view mirror, retelling the journey, they will tell you it was all worth it indeed. That they miss the journey. The everyday thirst to reach the exit gave their daily life purpose.
The journey was the gift.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the untold stories. The majority of us who haven’t yet made it big. Who have scraped and clawed for decades to fulfill a dream that may—in the end—never come to fruition.
Will we still think the journey was the gift? It’s a question I’ve been asking my 45-year old self…
