At 21, @jakekassan, built a luxury watch company that he’d sold for $100 million by age 30.
• Sold 1 million+ watches
• Scaled to 75+ employees
• Forbes 30 under 30
Yet, despite being richer than he'd dreamed… emptiness and depression followed.
• Dream car
• Dream house
• Complete time & location freedom ...
But the meaninglessness of infinite leisure led to panic attacks, and an enormous sense of squandering his time and gifts.
Last week, his YouTube video got 500,000+ views (https://t.co/UXhv2NFyC3)
• Loss of identity and purpose
• Panic attacks & crushing isolation
• The inability to talk about it with anyone
“Having everything anyone could want...somehow I was still miserable.”
Now, he’s pursuing film-making to share his raw experiences.
Giving him a creative outlet he “intrinsically loves working on”.
His video connected because it exposes the myth every entrepreneur chases:
That the big exit is the finish line …
Rather than the beginning of something new.
The critic says to the artist, "would you like my opinion on your work?"
"Yes, " says the artist.
"It's worthless," says the critic
The artist replies, "I know, but tell me anyway."
So many false beliefs and ideologies being challenged and broken over the last few years.
Learning so much about myself. Not sure if it’s a product of being in my 30s or just becoming more self aware. Maybe both.
Sometimes, I think about other eCommerce entrepreneurs that have sold their businesses (like Jake Kassan and Michael Dubin).
I think: they aren't on social media - they are out living their lives. WTF am I doing?