Micah Baldwin
@micah
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Founder Coach. Multiple Founder. Photographer. Focus: mental health, recovery, kindness, and creativity. ex-@madronaventures @amazon
Joined April 2007
I am starting Follow Fridays. Every Friday, suggest a person to follow, and everyone follow him/her. Today its @fancyjeffrey & @w1redone.
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The three most underestimated things in life:. * eating properly.* sleeping deeply.* exercising consistently.
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I’ve watched this a 100 times, and pretty sure I’ll watch it a 100 more. @yoda @darth @ashleymayer @aprilolanoff
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When I wake up, I ask myself the same question everyday:. “What one thing do I have to accomplish today to make it a good day?”. 1 thing. Not 10 things. Not prioritized things. Just a thing. My mood’s been 10X better since I started. Atomic actions can lead to seismic outcomes.
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Four most empowering words one person can say to another:. "I believe in you".
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Don't know who needs to hear this, but the things you enjoyed doing as a kid are ok to do as an adult. Play those video games. Read those fiction books. Play D&D. Draw those pictures. Whatever brings you joy.
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Just because you aren’t starting a company or venture fund doesn’t mean you can’t change the world.
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The story of $uber IPO isnt the massive amounts made by the founders and investors, but the 1000s of employees that are receiving life changing money for their hard work. They are the future angel investors, founders and philanthropists. They are the story of Silicon Valley.
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In my 20’s I thought being seen was important;.In my 30’s I thought being heard was more important;.now in my 40’s I realize being present is the most important.
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The greatest barrier to success for most founders?. physical and mental health. A strong body and mind can handle most obstacles with deftness. Wish I learned this when I was beating the hell out of myself in my early 20s.
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I had a very bad anxiety attack today. Doing ok now. Still can still feel it in my chest. Anxiety is suffered in silence by so many, and so many are silent about it. I used to fear sharing for how I might be viewed. But this is me. I'm proud of all of me even the messy parts.
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For the last 3.5+ years, I have felt stuck mentally, physically, and creatively. Like living in quicksand and fog. For the past few days, I have started to get my confidence back and feel my desire for creativity grow. It's a good feeling, so focused on keeping it going.
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Taylor 16 years ago when I got her. Never did I realize a dog would change me and the direction of my life. It is no lie to say that I would not be alive but for her. Now, I embark on the next phase of my life because, but without, her. Love ya kid.
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Woke up this morning on the downward slope of my bipolar. (the weeks’ horrors have been triggers) . @reddit has now become one of the places I go online to help slow the downward roll. This picture was perfect. cc: @alexisohanian @darth
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I was asked what’s the best advice you ever got as a CEO?. “The best thing you can do as a CEO is accept that other people can do things differently than you.”.
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I have started to travel with no agenda other than meeting new and old friends. Agenda-less meetings are good for the soul. I pick a place and hotel, and then reach out to a few folks and just spend time talking about life. Every time my heart and mind open a bit more.
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When @garyvee and I first became friends, we had this conversation:. Gary: “I love people”.Me: “I hate people”. Ever since, randomly, Gary texted me “love you.” I hated it. I tried it a few years later and it forced me to realize I did love people. Love you, Gary. Thanks.
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One disservice we pay ourselves in the tech industry is the binary belief in success and failure. Everything (and everyone) is either a complete success or an abject failure. Startups are messy.Fundraising is messy.Exits are messy.Hiring/Managing is messy. Life is messy.
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Another simple rule I often forget:. A) Every single successful person got help to achieve it. B) Therefore, to achieve success one must become comfortable asking for help. C) It’s that simple.
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I never understand how kids can watch hours of minecraft youtube videos. he says after watching 3 hours of Stray streamed by @Jacksepticeye.
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If you have achieved any modicum of success, please remember back to that time when you said to yourself: “when I am successful, I am going to act like a normal, good person. Ill treat everyone humbly, respectfully and as equals.” Then do that.
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I wish there was a list of investors that believe that founders with therapists are more investable.
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This is a bad take. Taking your foot off the gas can slow things down so decisions can be better made. No race car driver mashes the gas pedal to the floor throughout the entire race. They also use the brake to win.
In startups, if you take your foot off the pedal, the default mode is reverse, not neutral.
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As founders, we prioritize care for:. * our companies.* our employees.* our investors.* our customers. But not for ourselves. Yet we are expected to:. * set and drive vision.* recruit A players.* keep money in the bank. How can we do that if we are a mess?.
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I was asked why when I'm depressed I prefer people don't say "it'll get better" or anything specifically comforting. This cartoon illustrates it perfectly (for me): Thank you @Lunarbaboon
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Entrepreneurs want to be VCs.VCs want to be entrepreneurs . Why is no one happy being who they are?.
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today is my birthday. I don't celebrate my birthday because I thought I would be dead by 18. Most likely because I would have taken my own life. Its taken me decades to get to a point where that is no longer true. Best lesson I learned?. Ask for help. It's a sign of strength.
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I never want business advice from someone who hasn’t failed painfully.
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As a founder actually relaxing is hard. There is a constant low hum of anxiety in the back of our brains. Accepting that it is there (and that it will be ok) is the first step to taking a breath and slowing down. And, yes, it never really goes away.
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It’s ok if the current crisis has created an opportunity for your company. It is ok to be excited about that opportunity. It’s ok to ask for help, hire people, raise money, and take advantage of the opportunity. But be respectful how you tell that story.
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My dad used to say that you can learn to play the guitar but still can't *play* the guitar. I think the same is for startups. You can learn all about them, funding rounds, etc. but until you actually start one or work at one early enough you'll never *know* startups.
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Was asked yesterday why I invested in a specific founders. Among the reasons I listed, I said “because the founders are kind.”. “We don’t hear that often.”. In a world where crushing and cut throat are overvalued, kindness wins.
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Every morning I check @ProductHunt to remind myself that building is beautiful and founders are fearless.
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It's ok. I avoided all the energy around Gamestop too and didn't become a millionaire. Same with AMC. Same with Bitcoin. Instead, I took the dog for a walk and enjoyed the sun. It's ok to be ok just living your life.
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What I’ve learned from using @Superhuman:. It’s “just” an email app - which has well defined expectations - so rather than *building* a mass of unique features they *innovate* and *manically focus* on usability/experience. It’s exactly how to attack saturated markets.
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find people you would work with for the next ten years. Don't worry about titles. Worry about the people.
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Some news. What I learned on my sabbatical was how much I wanted to help a rocket ship soar while continuing to support founders in multiple ways. The core of any startup shifting from an idea to a business is a bank account. Everything grows from there.
We are so excited to announce that @Micah has joined @grasshopperbank!. We know how lucky we are to have the chance to build together, and how lucky our founder clients will be because of his impact.
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Founders are the only people that could feel semi-retired working 40 hours a week.
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It has been fun, but it is time. New post: “A Prime Time To Leave Amazon”
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I often tell founders to expect 99% of advice given by mentors to be wrong or not applicable. The difference between good and great founders is recognizing that 1% and acting on it.
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I keep meeting people 35-45 that make wonderful employees at startups, but younger founders are scared away: Too different. Feels like there needs to be something that fixes the perception on both sides and creates proper matches. Especially for folks reentering the market.
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Just scheduled Taylor’s euthanasia. It’s the right thing to do and im ok with the decision, but still incredibly sad. Focused on making our last days together comfortable and painless for her.
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Success is not the opposite of failure. To succeed one must experience failure. It’s the opposite of giving up.
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We constantly put people on a pedestal that want to start companies, but I have yet to see a company be truly successful without someone focused on helping the founder succeed. A strong COO/President/whatever is paramount.
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Next time you meet with an investor, ask for a time they failed a founder. Not missed an investment. But said/did something that turned out to drastically wrong. Then ask them what they learned. Look for investors that have the confidence to be helpful and the fear to be not.
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I had a pretty tough day today. Then my dog and I shared a pizza and life was good. Hope you had a dog and pizza day.
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Excited to be supporting the @TheCryptidCo team. I love what they are doing!. Of course, I have a giveaway. :). Giving 3 Cryptid's away on mint day. Rules:.Follow @TheCryptidCo.RT and tag 2 friends.Join their discord I’ll pick the winners in 48 hours!
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Wore this shirt today. Reactions? Folks loved it and asked if they could take pictures. Wildly different from @FredTJoseph’s experience. I wonder why? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Some truths about the NFT space:. 1) No one knows what they are talking about;.2) Some people will make money;.3) That person is probably not you;.4) Most projects will go to zero;.5) That jpg you bought? Probably one of those projects. Don't spend money you don't have.
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I just found a @patagonia jacket I bought two years ago that I couldn’t fit that I can now fit and zip. Merry Christmas to me.
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Don’t feel particularly good today. Questioned some actions/decisions. Emotions are sitting in my stomach. Still I forgive. I accept. And treat myself with kindness. I don’t post for sympathy, but so that you too on the bad days can forgive. Accept. And be kind to you.
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Got asked today what the hardest thing I ever learned was:. To let others have the last word.
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The longer my anxiety is managed the more I can see how it negatively effected my life over the years. Decisions not made, unwarranted reactions, and joy not had. As I move forward, it makes the positivity in my life easier to see and accept.
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kindness is undervalued in a world where what you do matters more than who you are.
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I started coaching full time in May. I now am overbooked. This is not a humblebrag. (Well kinda). Thanks for those that trust me and recognition that coaching is something that many people are seeing as a tool to help them succeed. I wish it existed when I was a founder.
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As a founder, we often want to be the hare while forgetting the turtle won.
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If I were to raise money, I would require my investors to set aside some portion of the round for wellness and mental health for the team. Be it coaching, therapy, or other wellness services. Suprised more investors don't do this as a way to show up fully for their founders.
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I just did 60 min on the @onepeloton. I never thought I could do it, but my @futurefitapp coach challenged me. I am pretty impressed with my 300lb+ self.
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The greatest downside of being a life-long entrepreneur is that I have been in a constant state of worry that my impact is invalid unless it is big. Working to be ok with “nudges of impact” has had the greatest positive effect on my sense of fulfillment.
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Whenever I see a company launch an exact replica of a product from a failed company (usually from years ago) I am further convinced that the biggest factor of success in startups is timing. Strong timing is enhanced by:. - team (seeing opportunities).- resources (shots on goal).
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I disagree @justinkan. Failure is not just failing. Success is not just succeeding. In startups, we often place a high bar on success (big exit) when often real success is surviving. Have you survived failure? Then you have succeeded, and I can learn from you.
The key is to fail a lot and then succeed.
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I wasn’t going to tweet about getting my first dose, but as I was getting it I heard an older gentleman is the room next to me exclaim “I haven’t hugged my kids in a year! I can’t wait!” With such joy and excitement that I choked up. This is more meaningful than we imagine.
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It’s crazy how long it took me to own a full-length mirror, let alone look in it and god forbid take a photo. I’m not happy with how I look in the photo, but I am that I took it and shared it. Authenticity not perfection.
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As an old, I think I am not supposed to enjoy @justinbieber's @nprmusic Tiny Desk show. But he has really fully developed into a singer from being just an entertainer. Fully enjoyable. Peaches is great.
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I don't know who needs to hear this, but whether you know me or not, I am here to provide you a non-judgemental safe space for those moments of darkness. My DM's are open and we can talk about whatever you need.
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Started something new on Monday. Looking forward to sharing. Weird to not operate in public (yet).
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1/ If you are suffering from anxiety in any form, please talk to someone about it. I was recently diagnosed with anxiety and have been working on managing it (both with medication and behavior modification) and the change is huge.
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Being a founder is having to carry so many emotions on the inside, but feeling that I could only project strength and confidence on the outside. But if you don't share those internal emotions, you will rot from the inside. Find a trusted person and be fully disclosed.
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I keep two lists in my head: founders I’d work for, for free; and investors I’d give equity to, for free. Why? How better to build a mental model of the type of founder, or investor, I want to be?. While the names might surprise you, there is only person on both: @abatalion.
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I have to be vigilant about being aware that I’m depressed. One truth of having depression (vs sadness) is that it is not always self-evident. Questions I ask:. * how is my sleep?.* how messy is the house?.* what am I eating?.* how motivated am I?. The signs can be subtle.
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Is it weird that I want to hire someone to come to my house and teach me how to garden properly? Like take me to the gardening store and everything. .
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The best lesson I ever learned:. The secret to changing your life is not in hard work, visualizing, setting intention or willing it to be. It’s in asking for help.
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1/ The last four-five years have been really tough for me. My mental and physical health was in tatters and I struggled to make it through a day. I destroyed relationships and opportunities. And while I'm not 100% healed yet, but I am closer to 100 than zero.
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Every time I tweet about my depression/bipolar/anxiety or general struggles, I worry that someone will read it and think that I am someone they don’t want to work or associate. Then I realize it helps me.
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Things I love: . 1) people whose smile consumes their entire head. 2) Explosive laughs. 3) conversations that forces thinking. 4) random hellos. 5) creativity for creativity's sake.
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More and more people I talk to reference an investor/founder’s Twitter game as an indication of quality. It never is. Ever.
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NO CHEATING (unless it is a personal image you can’t share). brighten up or worsen my week with the 4th most recent pic in your camera roll. don’t explain unless i ask you to, then repost this with the number i give you.
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I read 4 books in 2018.I’ve read 17 books so far in 2019. Biggest difference in my life? . I read more often.
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A new model has entered the picture. Those ears know how to pose. Meet Sydney Molly Baldwin
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at 3:30p PST today, the vet comes to put Taylor to sleep. It has been weird knowing this exact moment is coming. Im trying to spend the day in service to others for my sanity and in celebration of her legacy. Luckily I am bipolar so I've had practice handling the mood swings.
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Every time I am disappointed in myself for where I am in life, I remind myself that no one is exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up. Fulfillment comes from accepting that we have done our best to be our best.
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Not sure who needs to hear this (other than me):. No one has it all figured out.
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I find it hard to trust anyone that works too hard at building their personal brand.
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Sat with a fortune 500 company this morning that said "we meet a lot of startups with solutions, but rarely are they solutions to our problems. If they started with the problem, we would work with many more.". Simple reminder in B2B, the itch you are solving is the Enterprise's.
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Two things a seed investor should be world class at:. * getting into a deal; and.* helping those companies close a series A. Too many seed investors have the salesmanship for the first, but not the strategy/skill for the second.
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Been thinking a lot about how culture is often viewed as a barrier in hiring (one is or is not a “fit”). What if “is not a fit” is temporary and the real genius of company culture is the absorption and education of the potential fits?.
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