The Circle Around Me

When I decided to build BessWave, the first people I shared the idea with were my wife, my two daughters, and my son-in-law.

That was not the case the first time around.

When I started my first company in 1999, we had a two-year-old and another on the way. It was a busy time. Because I worked from home, my kids saw a lot of me during the day — but what they mostly saw was dad in his home office, on the computer, on the phone. They were too young to understand what I was building. They just saw the work.

This time is different.

My family has had a front-row seat from the start. I value their input. I ask their opinions. They read my bi-weekly posts and tell me what lands and what does not. That changes the experience of building in a way I did not expect.

And it is not just family.

The first company was a milestone. But the network around me this time is more than I could have imagined. Every step I take, I have the support of family, friends, advisors, investors, and colleagues I have worked with over the years.

People who know my work. People who know me.

The first time, the circle around me was much smaller.

This time, we are building it together.