I Didn't Meet My Own Expectations

Life is Hard, Damn It

Over the last six months, I've been working with two awesome friends to get LaneSpotter in a position to raise money and relaunch.

And as soon as we started pitching, I couldn't do it. I can't do it. As much as I want LaneSpotter to exist, I can't do it through traditional VC.

Why?

I have VC PTSD.

I have a really hard time talking about this, but I'm going to have to at some point. The way I've talked about it so far is by turning it into a joke, but it's actually not funny. My previous experiences have made it impossible for me to raise money. Ted saw signs of it at the end of Techstars, but it didn't matter then because I never got that far after the program.

I was excited to work on LaneSpotter again. I was excited to have other people around me who were excited about it too. Then, as soon as I started fundraising, it happened again. The symptoms kicked in with a vengeance.

My friends ask me, "How does it manifest? What happens?"

I become agitated, irritable, and hostile. I get severely anxious, moderately depressed, and afraid of absolutely nothing. I break out in hives and can't sleep. I become self-destructive. This is what it feels like when PTSD kicks in.

I don't want to live like that. It's time to move on. For real.

The money I saved and set aside to work on LaneSpotter has dwindled to almost nothing, so it's time to figure out what's next. And I know that the best way to find the right gig is probably through my network. Yinz know me!

🤔 So, what am I looking for in my "next thing" ???

• Early-stage company in need of a GTM expert.

• A really, really smart team of hustlers. I need to feel it.

• Legit, founder-friendly investors. Or no investors at all!!!

• A mission I care about. Passion drives me.

• Remote is ideal, but I'll move for the right opp in a cool city (LA, PDX, CHI).

• I'm strong in both B2B and B2C and really don't have a preference.

• No medical or crypto.

The other option that I'm considering right now is doing something less techy.

Social impact. Mission-driven. Make a difference. Change the world shit.

Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations. I believe this, so I'm making a hard right and heading off to my next destination.

If you know someone looking for an experienced, cross-functional leader specializing in go-to-market strategy and execution, send them my way.

Until next time,
✌️Lynsie

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