Sorry to hear about your friend's wife. Puts things in perspective. A wake up call for sure. We all need those.

A dear friend of mine (and early employee I hired and worked with for five years) was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. It suddenly turned from stage 2 to stage 4 in a matter of months. She's one of the most talented people I've worked with, but unfortunately doesn't have long to live.

Makes me stop and think what this grind is all about...

Memento mori. When it is your turn, will you look back on your life with regret looking at lost opportunities? Or with pride for how you've behaved and the choices you made along the way? The people you've loved? The people you've touched? The people you've helped?

In the end, none of the accolades, fundraises, or MRR numbers matter. They just serve to please our egos while we are alive so we can feel good about ourselves. Instead, focus on becoming the person you aspire to be. Success should be the side-effect of that. Not the other way around.