Have a kid

Prior to having a child, I fretted that having one would decrease my ambition and would limit my startup aspirations.

I felt like the window in which I applied to YC was the only time I would have to go after a big outcome and do something meaningful. Surely once I had a child, I’d need to put on my grown-up pants and get a real job right? Gotta pay the bills and feed the baby!

I am here to tell you that could not be further from the truth.

Having a child has been the single biggest accelerant for my and Ayman Nadeem’s ambitions.

Having a child clarifies things in ways you can’t understand beforehand.

What do I want to tell my daughter when she’s older? That I abandoned my plans to build a generational company and joined a model lab to collect a paycheck because I was afraid? That I didn’t believe in myself? That I was worried I would be a part of the permanent underclass?

Fuck no.

I want to tell her that myself and her mom gave it our all. That we weren’t afraid to swing for the fences even when things were hard. That we were scared but we did it anyway. That Ayman Nadeem is the smartest and most driven person I know.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Having a 3 month old is tough. When the baby is screaming, I have to drop what I’m doing and help her get to sleep. When we’re low on formula, I have to run to Target last minute. We have a lot of help and we still feel sleep deprived. Rent is insane in San Francisco.

But I know we’re on the right path. I don’t doubt that for a second.

Having a child is a cheat code for giving yourself a well of conviction you didn’t know was possible.

We’re shipping more than I ever have together at Nuanced. Excited to show y’all what’s next.

Keep going and dream bigger 🫡