Navigating the Fog Between Two Creative Peaks
Praveen and I have now spent weeks pondering a vital question: How does one rediscover the path to creativity? Our two-year startup journey had come to a halt, and the fog of uncertainty enveloped us. We had channeled all our creative energies into Storya's mission, only to find ourselves on the other side of the tough decision to shut down.
Reflecting on our journey, we acknowledge the myriad postmortems of startup founders. We know there are too many factors at play, internally and externally, at a micro and macro level, to be able to come to a definitive analysis. But sharing our experiences might light a path for others. Funding, a perennial hurdle, played its part in our story, but we recognize now that our flawed sales strategy and a rigid inability to pivot were crucial missteps.
The Struggle with Funding and Vision
In our inexperience, we clung to an outdated startup model, inspired by films like "The Social Network". The reality hit us hard: investors, especially in Asia, were no longer keen on betting big on unmonetized social platforms. The era of Facebook and Twitter had evolved and the funding requirements had changed. Take it as “the first law of startups”: a flawed business model is a death knell. You may not hear its ring, but it’s there.
Secondly, our pivot to a B2B model, sidelining our social app to secure survival, was a difficult decision, but necessary. However, integrating our core vision of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into this new direction proved very challenging. Storya, with a chief DEI officer from the start, saw DEI as not just an add-on but a mission-critical component.
The struggle to maintain this commitment in our new direction highlighted a second crucial finding: when the core mission of a startup is changed, expect the team to suffer. The tradeoff between the damage to team cohesion and short term revenue may or may not be worth it. The lesson is that while pivots are often necessary, pivoting well may drastically increase or decrease your chances of survival.
The Journey Ahead
As we sifted through our emotions, Praveen noted that the friction we felt toward testing new idea was a precursor to renewed creativity. Allowing ourselves the space to rekindle inspiration organically became our mantra, resisting the urge to force outcomes. Re-embracing a beginner’s mind – open, curious, playful – has become our new focus.
Drawing from past experiences, like Paolo's twenty-year epic fantasy fiction project, we realized that creative ruts aren’t permanent. The final book’s completion had left him questioning his creative future, but time and reflection opened new doors of imagination. Time is the greatest healer.
Navigating the tension between pragmatism and passion, stability and idealism, we understand that this foggy period is but a season in the cycle of creativity. Our virtual coffees, lightened by Praveen's giggling toddler or my somewhat older kids’ questions about homework, have become a space for reflection and rebuilding. The path ahead remains uncertain, but our solidarity and regained creative momentum guide us.
As we experiment with new ideas, the direction of our journey is still unfolding. For now, we take small, stable steps, allowing glimpses of our ideals and passions to resurface. The fog may obscure our view, but our inner compass, fueled by the ever-present spark of creativity, lights the way forward, one step at a time.