Before joining our startup I worked for a media company. Just like any jobs you had good days and bad ones. During the bad ones I always had the option to shut the door to my office and calm down. There were plenty of ways that you could feel better, from calling a friend and venting to looking for something inspirational to read.
There’s two things I’m learning in the startup world. The ups and downs are much more extreme. One day it feels like the greatest thing ever, and the next is really low. Sometimes it’s only hours apart.
The second thing is that there’s no time to be “off.” As I’ve shared, I share the room with five other guys. If I’m down or snippy, they all know. The same is true if you are up. Trying to be eager and level headed is very important as a result.
This came about in particular as a particularly long purchase cycle appeared to be coming to completion. It would have been a major milestone and triggered a bunch of activities on my part. However, the seller pulled a bit of a bait and switch and things were not as they seem. One minute I could feel them momentum building, and the next we hit a brick wall.
It’s a bit later and I’m calmer now about it, but I was really angry at the time. It was a good reminder not to get too excited before any deal is closed. I learned that in business development, as every deal we ever had (and I think every deal ever) had something come up at the 11th hour. I don’t know why I expected this to be any different. We’ll take the emotion out and make the best business decision. That’s all that can really be done. 
Tags: media
