The hardest decision I’ve ever made

I left the successful business to jump into an immature startup, and that’s why.

It was 2016 when I left my seven-year-old business in Ukraine to plunge into startup so raw so that it almost wasn’t there at all. Almost. This is my life story of how I did it and why. And also a story about that ‘almost’, powerful enough to give me the proper push to leave my comfort zone and go and dance on the lip of a volcano.

You will find here neither super-insights nor keys-to-success. Just my real story about one of the hardest and indeed best decisions I’ve ever made. No big deal. But maybe you will find it useful.

Who even likes sleeping?

I am Eugene, co-founder, and CTO of YayPay, a young but fast-growing company. But three years ago, I was a human-robot plugged to a coffee machine, helping young entrepreneurs at Techstars as a lead technical associate. Three months in a row, I had been bouncing between startups as a shuttlecock with no rest, no sleep, no signs of normal life. Only work 24/7.

Well, if you are a tech nerd, as I am, I suppose you don’t need me to explain why I embarked on work on such galleys. There is no better way to push your limits and capacities than a crazy brawling as such. Besides, facing new challenges shoulder to shoulder with nice chaps who share your ideas, beliefs, and perspective on life — what joyful networking!

Not a day went by that I regretted my decision to take part in the program. And not only for the reasons I’ve just described. There were two more things that I prize now, backward-looking.

First, there was a moment when my farewell with WebiNerds — my own company that I still love so much — started to come into the picture. It did so because of the second reason:

Here I met my partner

Yes, that was Techstars where I met Anthony, a FinTech entrepreneur. A red-bearded guy had a strong chin, a sharp eye, great experience under his belt and precious idea up his sleeve. The idea of YayPay, the accounts receivable automation service helping businesses to throw a vicious heap of financial spreadsheets right where it belongs. Into hell, of course.

But at that time YayPay was a mess of two guys plus a bunch of outsourcing staff and a puzzling stack of code, so far from its purpose that it couldn’t do its job even if it wanted to. More of a bicycle with squared wheels for running stairs than a well-oiled machine.

So, I’ve got stuck with them deeply. To say we worked hard would be an understatement. Together with Anthony, we were slaving over the project days and nights, sometimes totally forgetting when we had slept last time. Or where we had slept.

Point of no return

By the end of the program, Anthony asked me to become his partner, a co-founder, and CTO of YayPay. I said I needed to think. And I’ve been thinking. For a week or even more, to be honest. The problem was that I’ve already spent seven years to nurture my own company into a stable and profitable business. And eventually I ought to make one hell of a decision:

- Choose a somewhat calm and peaceful life, continuing to develop WebiNerds. Well, yes, software services company is hard to scale and even harder to create a high valuation for it, yet, it has already brought money. Enough for me to foresee my future and even make some enjoyable long-term plans.

- Or choose YayPay, a startup that, you can say, wasn’t much at that moment. And with that determine unclear future, vague perspectives, and potentially unpleasant consequences of my decision.

After a week of heavy contemplating, troubled sleeping and wasting a bucket of paper with scrawled pros-and-cons, I chose the startup. And here are the crucial factors that affected my decision:

Partner

50% of company success is people. For me, people you want to work with are people you can trust your life. With Anthony, we had three months to trial one another. And those were the important three months. We learned that we could work together, could hear each other, admit our mistakes, and help each other to grow under considerable pressure and in the air of complete uncertainty. Not least factor — this guy already had a good experience of building startups and successfully exiting them.

Idea

Another 50% of company success. Yes, we live in a crazy time when even an app that makes you look older in a photo can bring you some money. However, golden ideas are those that solve real problems, heal someone’s wounds, make human life easier. Slay the problem, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by grateful customers eager to pay you for your help.

Anthony had an important reason. It was a brilliant solution to the real pain finance teams suffer worldwide. I had no doubt that if we made it right, it would bear juicy fruit in the future. I’m glad I was right.

Me

I mean, the way I am who I am. For my money, you ought to be somewhat mental to jump into the startup waters. They are murky, dangerous, and unpredictable. Every decision here is risky; every step is slippery; every success drives you further from the quiet shore. And the deeper you are, the easier it is for you to suffocate.

Sean Parker once said very wittily, “running a startup is like eating glass. You just start to like the taste of your own blood.” I would only add that before starting your business, you might probably have already suspected yourself in having these weird dietary preferences.

The point is — one needs to enjoy the struggle to jump into that. I clearly did. And I still do.

Summary?

Well, as I said, it turned out that my decision was right. We successfully develop and deliver our service to our clients, helping them with one of the most dreadful nightmares entrepreneurs might have.

And again, there is no hints and tricks in this article, just a little story of my own. So, as a summary, if you asked me what in my view are the vital things you might want to consider:

• Go and fetch yourself your own Anthony. A reliable partner is the key to success.
• Scan the idea. Ask yourself, if it’s powerful; if it’s viable; if people around you demand it? Does it help someone to survive or at least makes their life better? If so, it is your idea. Take a grasp on it and grow it into a product.
• Know yourself. Imagine that you will fail no matter how reliable your idea seems and everything will go south. Are you ready for that?

Have all three checked? I’d say, go startup and get yourself an unforgettable journey!

And please, do not forget this.