Mike Hudack

david-noel asked: Best/worst experience as an entrepreneur?
Failures?
Rebounds?
Successes?

This is a very tough question to answer, if only because it’s four — even five — questions in one. There are also many problems with me answering this question. I don’t feel like I’m really an entrepreneur yet. I haven’t had a successful exit. Blip is going well, but still needs a lot of work. It feels a bit premature — a bit like cheating, in fact — to answer this question at this point in my career.

I think the best thing about the past four years has been the amount I have learned and the amount I’ve grown. Every few months blip’s board members pat me on the back and tells me that I’m doing a good job. They spend the rest of their time listing everything that’s broken about me and the company and challenging me to do better.

The best and worst things about the job are the same: you’re constantly forced to become more self-aware, to recognize your weaknesses, to strengthen your weak points, to accept criticism as constructive. This applies equally to yourself — your ego — and the business. This is an unambiguously positive thing, but it can be painful at times.

These are my best and worst experiences.

And, of course, you have the roller coaster. Every day and week and month at a start-up is full of ups and downs. It’s my job — and the job of everyone at the company — to smooth out the ride over time. But it’s very much a roller coaster. For every success you have a failure. For every failure you hopefully have a success.

I’m not ready yet to say that anything that I’ve done yet as an entrepreneur has been a success, or even a rebound. Blip’s doing well, but we’re not a success yet. That will still take more time.

There are several things, however, that I’m very proud of: building a team, growing as an individual and a CEO, helping members of the team grow, listening to those around me, maintaining the courage of my convictions, making sure that the company does the right thing.

Blip is doing very well right now. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve built so far. I’m extremely proud of the part that everyone has played, and the part that I’ve played. We’re on a good trajectory. But there’s stil so much work to do.

There’s still so much work to do. And that’s both the best and worst part of the job. It’s never over.