Start-up Land

I have been living in a start-up land since 1990. Some were businesses where I was at the helm; others were as an investor, and others were as an advisor or board member. Each is very different, but the one consistent thing is how quickly things move, how much time is needed, and how you can’t get any of it out of your head. Regardless, it is a very entrepreneurial sport.

I talked to one of Gotham’s team players about the many meetings. We looked at the calendar together and realized all those meetings were necessary. I am not a fan of meetings to have meetings, but when you are building something from scratch, multiple sessions are needed until the foundation is set. The tricky part is when you have time to execute everything, particularly when you are creative. Time is needed to think, and we all must have a life that makes us better as humans.

Maybe start-ups are like a drug. There are some drugs that, after a few hours pass, you are so happy that you aren’t in that mindset anymore; things are a little more mellow. Start-ups are like that. They are also like having children. The first year is nuts. Sleep is tough; things are constantly changing, and you are entirely trying new things and passing on things that don’t work, and then a year passes. You look around, and everything has completely changed, and you can not believe how far you have come.

In year two, things begin to gel. You can sit up and focus a bit more; things start to come together, and you begin to walk, talk, and eat by yourself. The same goes for business. The foundation begins to get set, the players start to lock in, decisions can be made on data, growth is happening, and everything is no longer a fire drill.

By year three, kids still have difficulty dressing themselves, but by year four, they are pretty independent, although I’m not sure you would let them stroll around the block by themselves. As 2024 starts to kick in and Gotham is moving forward, I look forward to year two. I am unsure what I expected as I began this journey, but that is how I have always operated. Jump in, two feet first. In the cannabis industry, everything is learned on the fly, which is exciting and incredibly frustrating.

In the years ahead, relying on Government decisions while building out a business should prove to be challenging but admittingly exhilarating.