Starting a tech company is not for the faint of heart. It’s a dance with irrationality, a constant balancing act between embracing the madness and maintaining enough sanity to keep your vision clear. It’s nonsensical, it’s chaotic, but it’s also one of the most thrilling rides you can take.
As a tech company founder, you might find yourself in situations that feel completely irrational, crazy, and absurd. The list goes on: sleepless nights, uncertainty, ever-changing market conditions, and the stress of raising funds. You’re often living a narrative that, to an outsider, may seem chaotic and nonsensical. It can feel like a surreal script straight out of a Woody Allen movie.
There’s a scene in the Woody Allen film “Annie Hall” that encapsulates this dynamic perfectly. A man goes to a psychiatrist and confesses, “Doc, my brother’s crazy. He thinks he’s a chicken.” The doctor, befuddled, asks, “Well, why don’t you turn him in?” To which the man replies, “I would, but I need the eggs.” This humorous, absurdist anecdote provides a rich metaphor for the world of tech startups.
When Allen narrates, “You know they’re totally irrational and crazy and absurd, but I guess we keep going through it because, uh, most of us need the eggs,” he’s painting a picture that many of us in the tech industry can intimately understand.
In this context, the “eggs” can be seen as the innovation, growth, and potential success that drive us to pursue our ventures, despite the ‘madness’ we often encounter. We might grapple with unproven concepts, face scepticism from investors, or navigate the tumultuous sea of market competition. Yet, we press on, tethered to the hope of what our businesses can become and the “eggs” they can produce — breakthroughs in technology, industry disruption, financial success, or simply the fulfilment of creating something from scratch.
Like the man who tolerates his brother’s eccentricities, we endure the startup journey’s vicissitudes because we need the eggs. We ride the rollercoaster of technological glitches, product pivots, hiring challenges, and countless late nights because we are visionaries who see the potential rewards on the other side. We know that within the madness lies the potential for something extraordinary.
Of course, it’s crucial to remember that while tolerating a certain level of “madness” is necessary, striving for balance is equally important. Just as the man in Allen’s story would benefit from setting boundaries with his chicken-impersonating brother, we must also learn when to step back, delegate, seek support, or take a breather. It’s about finding a way to manage the craziness without letting it completely overrun the coop.
Starting a tech company is not for the faint of heart. It’s a dance with irrationality, a constant balancing act between embracing the madness and maintaining enough sanity to keep your vision clear. It’s nonsensical, it’s chaotic, but it’s also one of the most thrilling rides you can take.
So, here’s to all you tech founders out there, braving the “crazy” because you need the eggs. Here’s to the dreamers, the innovators, the risk-takers. Keep chasing those eggs, and remember, even in the wildest of times, you are not alone in this chicken coop we call the tech industry.
Are you a tech founder looking for eggs? Contact Cube Capital today to learn more about our M&A advisory services. Send your feather email to hello@cube.capital today.