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Some of my loneliest moments as a founder:
- In 2023, from a data standpoint, it was absolutely the worst year to start a company. Funding dried up globally, and startup registrations hit their lowest levels due to the post-COVID recovery and the FTX collapse. I spent seven months traveling around the world to close our first round, pitching to no fewer than 100 investors. I was at an investor networking event. Knowing no one would be interested, I stopped networking and started working instead. Someone took this picture of me.
- I had a tooth extraction under anesthesia. The dentist asked if someone was picking me up and whether anyone would be home with me. I told them I’d take an Uber home by myself and that no one would be there. The dentist said they would call me later that evening to make sure I was doing okay.
The good part is that I don’t feel like I’ve lived any differently, but my mentality has improved significantly because of the loneliness and struggles I’ve experienced. I always wish the best for others and hope they succeed.
This is what entrepreneurship is really about - it transforms your heart. It brings out a more compassionate side of your humanity.
Entrepreneurship is about persistence and love for others.
Still very grateful.
Mau is definitely one of the best founders I know - humble, smart and hardworking.
$0 to $60k per month revenue is crazy. Congrats and well-deserved!
$100k MRR soon I think!
all of the products and things i made went
absolutely nowhere since i started in 2022
it wasn't until july of 2025 that i made
my first $1,000 with prayer lock
today the app is doing $60k/month
knowledge and skills compound
there is no overnight success
Meeting the former French President when I was in college was fun.
I asked him a question: "How did you like the Élysée Palace?"
He replied, "Sometimes I got lost in it because it was big."
When I was a student, there was a year when I barely sat down for meals because I spent most of my time either in the library, attending guest lectures and talks, or figuring out ways to learn. One day, I attended a concert by Sarkozy's wife, and he happened to greet me. We had a brief conversation, and after the concert, I went up to talk to him again because, at that time, I wanted to have conversations with important people - not for the prestige, but for the opportunity to learn.
Initially, I was hesitant to approach him, but talked to him I couldn't feel any better.
One important lesson that still helps me today, both in life and in building a startup, is that your job often involves dealing with people who are more accomplished than you, because that is how both you and your company grow - the time when you have this conversation, make this conversation equal.
During that year in college, I also met the former CEO of Google and the European Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that we often assume people are unapproachable, but they usually are not. And if you treat them like rock stars, they will treat you like a fan. Don't underestimate yourself or be too hesitant to start a conversation. After all, we are all human.
If you read enough biographies, you will find that every important person started out as an ordinary and largely unknown individual. You may be ordinary today, but in the long run, you could become just as important as the people you admire or feel nervous about approaching.
Exactly! Being a founder isn't nearly as glamorous as people often think. Behind every success story are countless sacrifices, difficult decisions, and moments of uncertainty that happen behind the scenes.
Kudos to you for starting the founder journey. It's a courageous path that takes conviction, resilience, and a lot of grit. Wishing you the best as you build something meaningful!