One of the most fascinating things about startup life is speed of change.
I remember how in investment banking mood swings were a thing. Winning or losing a mandate defined the general atmosphere in each team and, more broadly, in the overall organisation. But that is still a far cry from what you get to experience as a startup founder.
Take Iris.ai’s example. In just under four weeks we have gone from the painful digestion and disappointment of not securing a large EU grant to closing the best month in the company’s history – both from a commercial and from a financial perspective. A total emotional rollercoaster!
One of the most exciting things that has happened to us this month is wining the LEDGER competition at the first jury day held in Amsterdam. This was a c.5% probability event, with 291 projects competing for the highly coveted 16 slots in the program. It means we will be able to prioritise the development of a core part of our knowledge validation product roadmap with help from great advisors and a contribution of €150,000 to €200,000 in non-dilutive funding.
Piece of free advise: if this drastic speed of change, with the associated uncertainty it brings with it, is not something you are willing to endure (let alone enjoy), you should probably choose an alternative career path!
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