All of the general partners at WV are parents of school age children. And like most parents, we spend a great deal of time with our children. We take them to their various doctor appoints, swim lessons, gymnastics classes, and every other activity under the sun. We also cook, clean, and generally care for all of their daily needs. And like most parents, we often wear ourselves out trying to be the best parents we can be.
Parenting also is one of those things that you often cannot see progress on a daily basis. Your “victories” are clouded in the muck of just doing the job of parenting. It is often not until years later that all of your efforts are rewarded (think of your child heading off to college, getting married, or finding that first job). The destructiveness of bad parenting is also not often seen until years later. Neglectful or ambivalent parenting effort manifests itself years later when the child reaches adulthood. But either good or bad, you often have a hard time seeing the effects of your actions.
This is where parenting and being a part of a start-up is parallel. You often work day-in-day out without seeing the huge victories. You are often so far into the muck of daily operations that you do not see your daily wins and losses. You often can’t decipher if you are winning or losing. It is not until years later, that all of those daily victories add up to an acquisition, IPO, or stable cash flow company.
So, the next time you see your child’s smile or satisfy a custom support inquiry, think about the connection between parenting and entrepreneurism.
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Parenting matters, but genetics matter more. The most influence parents have is at the moment of conception.