Congrats on Tread.fi's second anniversary and looking forward to support you in the exciting year ahead!
tread.fi was founded in November 2022 when the price of Bitcoin was $16,300. Our first exchange integration was with FTX. Within a week, we had to essentially scrap that entire module. We raised money during the paradoxical bear market—when there was supposedly a lot of dry powder, but VCs weren’t writing many checks. In our early days, the only mention of crypto in the news was either about SEC lawsuits or funds being shut down. In retrospect, the hardest task as a first-time founder was not learning the skills required to become a good founder, but rather discovering what those skills actually are. Each industry, business, company and founder is unique and subsequently, so are the skills to succeed. Through hundreds of iterations, I willingly sought failure, just to figure out what I needed to do to improve for the next time. There is a wide margin between self-confidence and self-doubt. Consistently crossing that line is uncomfortable and exhausting, but it is the only way to grow. As we reflect on our second anniversary, it has been the perfect two years to start the company. The challenges gifted to us throughout the bear market provided us with invaluable learning opportunities that will forever define who we are. Nietzsche summarizes it pretty well, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.