Tim He

[001] Being a business owner is just getting better and better at managing your money → flex.one

[035] Being a business owner is just explaining to your partner why you have to take this one call on date night, again Sorry babe

[034] Being a business owner is just developing a sixth sense for when an employee is about to say "so I've been thinking"

[033] Being a business owner is just taking a deep breath when the client who had the audacity of ghosting you resurfaces like nothing happened "Heyyyy good to see you, long time no talk!"

[032] Being a business owner is just realizing your biggest competitor is your customer's brother-in-law who'll do it for free Happens to all the photographers I know

I made a post about hiring interns and it's going crazy. keep it coming we're hiring for our content team. read the post to get all the details linkedin.com/posts/timhe200…

[031] Being a business owner is just lying to a vendor that you "need to run it by the team" when the team is your dog Also using "we" in client meetings when you know it's just you

[030] Being a business owner is just telling a new hire there's no such thing as a dumb question and then hearing the question Sometimes, you're the one asking the question

@defyneric ty sir

@thetimhe this is real game rt here

I've worked at bootstrapped, pre-seed, seed, Series A, B, and C companies. If you join the wrong one at the wrong time, you'll be fucking miserable. Here's who should join what: Bootstrapped - Join if you're ok with being broke and scrappy but want to learn faster than you ever have - This is way more normal than people think. Over 70% of startups are self-funded - Skip it if you want a title, a clear path up, or a boss who coaches you Pre-seed - Join if you'd happily get dinner with the founders, because that's basically what you're betting on - Go in knowing the odds are rough. Most venture-backed startups fail and joining this early means you take a lot of that risk yourself - The product is going to change a lot. If that stresses you out, figure that out now Seed - Join if you want to build real stuff but still be on a team small enough that you matter - There's finally enough money to make something and you get to touch all parts of it - Watch for founder ego getting ahead of revenue Series A - Join if you like building but also want some order in your life - This is where early folks either grow into leaders or get replaced by someone more senior external hire - Best for people who can do the thing once and then figure out how to systematize Series B - Join if you want a real role, real money, and you're done needing to be in every meeting - Growth is supposed to be obvious by now and you start to specialize - Politics appear simply beacause there are more people involved Series C - Join for the brand, the money, the clout, the resume stamp, the merch - The lottery-ticket part of equity is mostly gone but the base is higher and more stable - Lot of fmr bankers and consultants start showing up Takeaway The stage that fits you keeps changing based on your circumstances. Pick a stage of company that fits your stage of life and career. That's probably the highest leverage decision.

[029] Being a business owner is just the slow descent into having weirdly strong opinions about cardboard box sizes and shipping labels At one point I knew all the specific measurements and prices and materials for UPS boxes

@defyneric fomo

will be attending Toronto for Crypto Week on July 20 - 24. anyone want to meet up? thinking of hosting a flex dinner.

[028] Being a business owner is just learning that "we love working with you" means jack shit until the payment clears Lots of first time business owners are reluctant to charge up front (or 50/50) but second timers tend to default to this

Being grateful rewires the brain. Neuroplasticity in action.

[027] Being a business owner is just becoming weirdly good at sounding calm over the phone while your heart does 200+ bpm Does this count as zone 2 training?

[026] Being a business owner is just the specific dread of a contract attachment titled "REVISED_FINAL_v7_actually_final"

[017] Being a business owner is just waiting (for your team, for a callback, for a payment, for a delivery, for pay day to pass) ☕︎ (,,•᷄ࡇ•᷅ ,,)?

[025] Being a business owner is just saying "let me check my calendar" when you already know you're free, but you just need to feel important and performative Also, we're not in middle school anymore. Replying instantly isn't cringe

[024] Being a business owner is just accepting that your therapist knows more about your P&L than your friends That's why finding fellow business owner friends is so important

[023] Being a business owner is just doing a victory lap in your kitchen at midnight that nobody will ever know about If people saw you smiling ear to ear alone in your car...

[022] Being a business owner is just going from having a boss you don't respect to being a boss you don't respect unless...