Tim*,
To communicate why I want to start a company, I need to explain my personal philosophy.
I believe that life is a game, and that every human has an extraordinary degree of control over the nature of the game: the levels you play at, the people you play with, and the arena you play in.
I also believe that one of the tragedies of humanity is that most people never even come close to exercising a fraction of the control that they have the potential to. There are few things less devastating to me than to imagine looking back at my life at the end of my days and realizing that I had given up so much control due to fear, self-doubt, and other limiting beliefs.
I'm not chained to starting a company, but I think that it's one of the clearest paths to playing the game of life at an elevated level. To have the ability to define which game I'm playing, how I play, who I'm surrounded by, and, crucially, who I become in the process.
By the way, I don't think I'm going to start a single company or project that accomplishes this. I see myself starting many over the course of my life. Some will be lifestyle companies, some will be social movements, some will be books I write, and some will be "startups."
In light of that, there are four main reasons I would work at a company first:
Build financial runway. I think taking VC dollars relinquishes some degree of control with a company I start. And financial stability is necessary for me to operate with the clear mind required to carry visions through to manifestation.
Work with extraordinary people. It's always good to be around people who enable me to be the best version of myself, and who remind me of what humans are capable of by virtue of their existence.
Accelerate my personal growth. I have several qualities I want to cultivate in myself in the near future, and playing certain roles at another company *may* be the quickest way to do so.
Build something that deeply resonates with me as creating massive value for other people at scale.
I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about how you see <company> fitting into the narrative of my life, now that you know what my goals are.
All the best,
Shirley
*name has obviously been altered
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