Patrick O

In South Africa, brands repair potholes.

Having a successful startup doesn’t mean you can’t have a family. When my wife and I decided to have a kid, our situation wasn’t ideal. Here’s what I mean: 1) We lived in a one-bedroom apartment. 2) I’d launched 3 startups but hadn’t made it big. While I’d just raised $3m, I was paying myself the bare minimum to survive. 3) None of our friends had kids. People in our circle thought having a family was a negative thing. But we did it anyway. Even though everyone thought we were crazy. Some parts of it were hard. Not having a community around the experience of parenthood was trying. Lonely, even. But even given our extreme circumstances, at no point did I regret having a child. Just like in entrepreneurship, being a parent has had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day, it’s a continuous source of joy and meaning.