I’ve spent almost a decade in the workforce, slowly climbing other people’s ladders. It’s been fun, rewarding, profitable and mostly very safe.

No more.

Today I resigned from a comfortable position and paycheck to embark on the biggest adventure yet — co-founding a company and building a platform that helps developers ship MVPs faster.

I’m excited, and a bit terrified.

For every moment of confidence and clarity of purpose, I spend many other moments attempting to drown out lizard-brain fear with obnoxiously loud DJ Khaled.

Fortunately, this fear is quickly fading into the background — like the white noise of my refrigerator. My rational brain has decoded the irony locked in the wavelengths of that hum: this leap into the great “unknown” is much more familiar than it appears.

I’ve probably never been more secure in my professional life. My past three projects (jobs) were built at startups. My new project is also a startup; undertaken with two of the best and most talented partners you could ask for.

But like that refrigerator, my lizard brain doesn’t stop humming:

“This is crazy. All the things can go wrong!”

STFU lizard brain.

This isn’t crazy; it’s cut and dry. I’m leveraging time and energy to solve a problem. That solution has value.

My partners and I are all in — willing to do whatever it takes to solve our chosen problem and build value in the world. Sure, we’re taking on some risk. But really, we’re just deciding to work without a buffer.

Where will the money come from?

THE VALUE

In the past, my co-founders and I built value solving other people’s problems. It’s been a great life so far; I’ll trust the data!

A boss/company/project/paycheck are just layers of safety glass between the employee and the uncertainty that underpins every business venture. Routine teaches that if a paycheck comes from someone else, it is reliable (even when it isn’t)… Worry paralyzes us into thinking that leaving stability, especially with a family in tow, is too risky… It’s all just a matter of perspective.

What if cash gets tight?

WE’LL FIGURE IT OUT

Why should I worry? Fuck worry. I’d rather get to work.

You know what? Suddenly the world is ten times bigger and a hundred times more thrilling. I’m diving into a project with more passion and investment than I’ve ever had – the outcome will be the best possible.

What if the business fails?

IT WON’T BECAUSE OF ME. 

It’s time to do this. Stop piping up and get out of my head. I’m going to maintain my perspective because from where I’m sitting, the world looks pretty spectacular with #nobuffer.

 
If you’re considering quitting a job or taking a similar leap of faith, I hope you found this useful and I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about.

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I was recently hired to help re-brand and launch this exciting start up. I encourage you to check them out at www.atpay.com and on twitter at @atpay

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Chad Person; Artist

The Work Questionnaire.

What made you go the way you chose to go?

I was headed toward a career in advertising and
realized that producing creative wasn’t nearly as much fun as being
creative. Projects and deadlines are awesome when they relate to my own
work, and not so awesome when I am not personally invested.

What’s the greatest difficulty you had to overcome to do what you’re doing now?

Hubris, particularly as it relates to production. I
still struggle with it, as I tend to be a
bite-off-more-than-I-should-chew person. That tendency can be hard on
the people around me, particularly when I’m under the gun prepping for a
big show.

What’s the greatest difficulty you face on a daily basis to keep on doing what you’re doing?

There really never is enough time…

When did you find yourself thinking, “Well, this is it. I’m really doing what I want now”?

Ask me in 2 years. Seriously. I’d love to say I’m
there, but I have never been fully satisfied with “what I’m doing right
now.” Maybe I’m restless by nature, or perhaps it’s just the nature of
looking forward to the next thing. I love starting new projects and when
they are finished I dive into the next.

How do you imagine the future?

Better, worse, easier and possibly a bit more
challenging. I’d love to realize some larger, monumental scale works
and/or a public art project or two.

What would you consider to be the main quality in order to survive in your field?

Tenacity. It takes a lot of energy to continually
produce things that the markets may or may not want. When you add in the
emotional and creative risks that artists have to take every day, it’s
easy to see why so many of us quit making things over time.

And what is the indispensable flaw that someone should have in order to get into your business?

If you are going to pursue the arts, it helps to be a little off.

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Please enjoy and share!

*Update >> Makana played this at the APEC dinner in Honolulu this week! Read the full story here.

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One week post opp and I got a great look at the new situation. The Doc. says I’ll be as strong as ever. Anyone who’s ever tried to use a screw-gun gently can appreciate the one that goes all the way through…

Please send me your rare earth magnets so I can practice my new parlor tricks.

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Is each year another precarious layer on the house of cards? Can I continue to afford to play to win? Wisdom does come with age…but at the price of quiet terror. Perhaps this unsettling thirty-sense is something I can choose to ignore? Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new chapter, and the first line reeks of optimism.

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Before meeting Tabitha 6 years ago I really didn’t care for cats at all. I’ve just always been a dog person. When my dog first met her, he tried to bite her head off (literally). In the following years, she’s won us both over such that today, as diabetes stole her from us, we cried together.

Tabitha was 15 at the time of her death. She is (and will always be) remembered by her mother Sara, her adopted father Chad, and brother-of-another-species Jackson. We will miss you forever sweet kitty. Your love knew no bounds.

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