Family

Is your family ready for this journey?

Here's another million-dollar question: are you ready for such a demanding and stressful journey? We often have a romantic view of entrepreneurship, imagining it will bring freedom, control, and success to our lives. However, the reality is quite different: you'll have little to no (financial) freedom, your venture will control your life, and success is far from guaranteed.

Are you still up to it? If so, that's great—but is your family on board? Have you thoroughly discussed what building a tech venture means with your life partner? Have you explained to your loved ones that holidays, nice restaurants, major purchases, and even gifts won't be as frequent as they were with your secure corporate job? And once you've had that conversation, remember this: whatever timeframe you've estimated for financial constraints, multiply it by two, at least.

Then there's the emotional pressure of running your own business. Your mind will be constantly focused on your venture—day and night. You'll sleep poorly, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about things you've done, haven't done, or done wrong. When you're with your loved ones, you'll only hear half of what they say (and I'm being optimistic here). Your family will understand at first and be flexible. But how will they feel after three years of this? Don't take this aspect of entrepreneurship lightly. Your marriage and family relationships could be the biggest collateral damage of your decision if you don't pay enough attention.

When I started working on flyiin, I was fully aware of what it would mean for us as a family. Having left my corporate job seven years earlier, we were already accustomed to a less comfortable lifestyle. When I decided to fully commit to flyiin, we relocated to Berlin due to its manageable cost of living at the time (though Berlin has changed significantly since then). Rents were cheaper than in most other European tech hubs, the French school was free, and we could go out without breaking the bank. While my business plan projected two years without a salary, this "transitional" period stretched to three and a half years, with my first paycheck finally arriving in January 2019.

Those years were, indeed, tough on everyone. I became obsessed with flyiin—perhaps inevitable for a first-time founder. My thoughts revolved around nothing else. I'd wake up at night to check responses from US-based investors and spend a couple of hours writing replies. Even during family weekends, my mind stayed locked on flyiin. My son would often stop mid-story and say, "papa, tu m'écoutes pas là" (dad, you're not listening to me now). It wasn't a healthy way to live.

The situation intensified as the company grew, bringing investors, staff, and objectives into the mix. The situation reached its peak during negotiations with our acquirer in 2021. We encountered last-minute surprises that threatened to unravel the entire deal—a key employee threatening to leave, and an investor demanding changes to deal terms just days before the signing date.

Key Takeaway #32

Starting a tech venture requires abandoning romantic ideals of entrepreneurship, as it demands heavy financial sacrifices with no guaranteed success. The constant pressure of running the business can severely strain family relationships, making it crucial to prepare your loved ones for this challenging journey.