I just turned 40 ๐ and Iโm genuinely excited to enter the next decade. The 30s were big - I founded Blossom Capital, helped create five unicorns, married my life partner and had three beautiful children. But Iโve pre-determined my 40s will be bigger ๐คฉ And, if life has taught me anything, you can manifest more than you think.
This weekend I recorded my fastest ever run time. 11km at 4:14/km. 3 months after my 3rd child. My 20 year old self would have dreamed of such a time. Yet I achieved it 2 weeks after turning 40.ย Running has always been a metaphor for life for me, so much of what I apply to it applies to building and investing too. While I was primarily just happy with the achievement, I also took some good life lessons:
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ณ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ.
Most people stop when it gets uncomfortable. The skill is learning to distinguish โthis is hardโ from โthis is impossible.โ While they might feel the same, theyโre not.
โ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซโ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ โ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐-๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐.
In an ecosystem that glorifies 996, weโve confused volume with output. I manage a $1.5B fund, a team of ten, three kids (and a husband ๐). I cannot out-hour anyone. What I can do is be ruthless about what actually moves the needle and ignore everything else. Some might interpret the ruthlessness as rude. Itโs a necessity.
๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐.
I see founders and investors alike struggle with prioritisation more than almost anything else. The best performers I know donโt manage their tasks; they manage their attention. Itโs a completely different skill.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐.ย ย
I run because I love the challenge. The only better feeling than crossing the finish line is enabling a world-class founder to win. When the motivation is intrinsic, the output is always better.
Three months after having my third child, I had every excuse. But the mind didnโt give me one. Your 40s aren't a decline. They're about making more impact on what matters.
This weekend I recorded my fastest ever run time. 11km at 4:14/km. 3 months after my 3rd child. My 20 year old self would have dreamed of such a time. Yet I achieved it 2 weeks after turning 40.ย Running has always been a metaphor for life for me, so much of what I apply to it applies to building and investing too. While I was primarily just happy with the achievement, I also took some good life lessons:
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ณ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ.
Most people stop when it gets uncomfortable. The skill is learning to distinguish โthis is hardโ from โthis is impossible.โ While they might feel the same, theyโre not.
โ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซโ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ โ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐-๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐.
In an ecosystem that glorifies 996, weโve confused volume with output. I manage a $1.5B fund, a team of ten, three kids (and a husband ๐). I cannot out-hour anyone. What I can do is be ruthless about what actually moves the needle and ignore everything else. Some might interpret the ruthlessness as rude. Itโs a necessity.
๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐.
I see founders and investors alike struggle with prioritisation more than almost anything else. The best performers I know donโt manage their tasks; they manage their attention. Itโs a completely different skill.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐.ย ย
I run because I love the challenge. The only better feeling than crossing the finish line is enabling a world-class founder to win. When the motivation is intrinsic, the output is always better.
Three months after having my third child, I had every excuse. But the mind didnโt give me one. Your 40s aren't a decline. They're about making more impact on what matters.