Building a startup is hard. On its surface, it's an utterly irrational use of time to try and solve a problem that's hard enough that no one has managed to solve it yet.
Whether it's an investor, a family member, or some bozo who calls themselves a 'Business Advisor', you have to navigate dozens of competing sources of advice and judgement. Most of the time though, you've heard all their points before, because the loudest voice with the most biting criticism comes from inside yourself.
We get in our own heads, we obsess over vanity metrics, we contort ourselves in all manner of weird positions to feel validated by others who don't even matter. It's a mental game that's hard, and one that relies on us growing through missteps. We don't grow unless we are challenged.
We don't build companies to make ourselves feel better. We build them because we have an irrational belief (and often-times ego) that we are somehow uniquely placed to build things that solve problems. It's that audacity to try, and probably fail, increases the likelihood of a founder to succeed.
Campfire is a founder-first publication focused on growing that mentality. We're here to celebrate, inform, debate, and champion each other. I hope you'll find what we share to be a vital part of your news digest. I hope the commentary we showcase from the community is thought provoking and not grand-standing. I hope you feel empowered to write in with your thoughts, and not be afraid to share your views.
And perhaps we can also have some fun and silliness along the way 😅