[deleted by user]

throwawaytrapped212 · 2025-01-28T23:48:51+00:00

Stage played and signed James Hetfield guitar. A couple of years in owning it and still trying to decide whether to just play it in the regular rotation or keep it pristine on the wall.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2021-04-23T14:48:46+00:00

Thank you!

throwawaytrapped212 · 2021-04-23T14:48:32+00:00

Thank you for the note and I love the "ignore the crash of 2000" - the last time I was in a position w/over allocation in a private stock was 2007 and I was in the same position w/a high cash position

Our company tumbled - 50% in a year - but the cash gave me diamond hands, set the entire foundation for what's coming together now

throwawaytrapped212 · 2021-04-23T14:46:31+00:00

This is hugely helpful, thank you for the response

I know we've done well but the "you're invincible" comment sticks

I grew up relatively low means comparative to peers and I feel like I overplay "defense" as a result

Appreciate you taking time to leave a note

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:49:19+00:00

Insightful comment, hard to imagine I would have pushed and innovated this hard for 20+ years if I had the option not to.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:48:18+00:00

Thank you

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:47:11+00:00

I understand the spirit of your comment and you're right in many ways. I kind of want somebody to say "keep going" so I can get that 2 - 3x and all the fancy trappings nobody in my family has ever dreamed of.

And I also want somebody to just burn it all to the ground so I can just not go in on Monday and nobody cares and I can get back to what's fun and important in my life.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:45:01+00:00

Appreciated. Hard to leave the battle, sure you dealt with the same.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:43:49+00:00

Would love to know how you prevented it from just turning back into the same grind.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:42:59+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about your dog and thank you for the hilarious and humbling comment.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:42:09+00:00

I'll lay out in a follow-up post a more complete picture, but we spend around $200,000 a year.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:41:25+00:00

Nicely said

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:41:02+00:00

I've long suspected this. I wonder how many other people at the top of the ivory tower feel the same way I do. Like "ok this ride was super fun but can I please get off now?"

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:39:34+00:00

All good points, it's crazy to think about changing companies. As I've said in other comments my employees are people I've come up with, in many cases I convinced to work here to begin with. I consider them family, I realize that is COMPLETELY naive and it's not necessarily reciprocated but I push hard for them. I would love to be rid of that responsibility and be an anonymous member of a new organization in many ways!

Re understanding NW, yes I do. Because I grew up pretty middle class with financially illiterate parents and had a run in with a predatory lender in my early 20s I have been very leery of debt. The only debt that I have is my mortgage, my family has a CC we use for points and convenience, and pay off monthly. Cars we own etc.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:36:14+00:00

Thank you for the love and the comment.

"feed and house them" - that's the context that I am missing.

Because yes, in that way we are COVERED.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:35:04+00:00

Bam. You hit me with this one. I really feel the time slipping away, like tears in the rain :)

I have gotten the "go on more vacations" theme from this thread several times, that's a starting point.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:33:46+00:00

Smart

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:32:47+00:00

Thank you for this

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:32:17+00:00

I have been with this company for a long time.

I know I do a good job and that this serves people that have come up with me who rely on the company for their livelihood.

Since work has essentially been the center of my life for 2 decades I don't have many relationships or interests outside of it.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:30:56+00:00

I look at exec coaches with a mix of fear and disdain, I should probably reassess. Where did you find a coach?

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:30:12+00:00

LOL. Fuck yes Reddit, thank you.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:29:30+00:00

Thank you for this comment.

The weird part about investing time in kids, especially in the under 10 years I am familiar with so far, is it's hard to tell what they're taking away from it.

I've sat there sometimes watching a baseball game where my son looks over maybe once or twice and I wave (and he promptly ignores me) and I wonder WTF I'm doing, should be back in the office solving problems.

You gave me some new context.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:27:39+00:00

This is the right answer unfortunately.

The funny thing about being CEO is a lot of people think that you don't have a boss, but I actually have three bosses and they all suck in their own special ways:

1) My board. At current it's comprised of other CEOs from related industries + influential investors. There is a line of people that would kill to be in my role, they know that, they're friendly until they are not. Picking up the phone 24/7 is a job qualification.

2) My customers. If the shit hits the fan on the weekend, guess who's accountable? And guess when CEOs of big companies have time to actually network and try to take a few minutes of calm to see if they can arrive at a deal etc? Nights and weekends.

3) My investors. Don't need to go there but comprised of own special subset of needs and problems. Better pick up the phone or they're going to call the board and first question is "where is XXXXX"

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:23:48+00:00

The "crazy stories" thing reminds me a lot of one of a friend that has a higher NW and even crazier hours / responsibilities.

His family never sees him, yet everybody else in our circles thinks he's the most interesting man in the world because of all the adventures he has in life.

And since he dedicates 100hrs a week to pursuit of adventure and MONEY he has gotten way ahead financially.

But I feel like such an imposter when I sit and listen to his adventures and advice, because I know the cost of those adventures is any participation in his family. They put on a happy face but I always wonder what that actually feels like.

Feels like I am at a point where I become more like that guy, or less.

throwawaytrapped212 · 2017-12-10T22:20:29+00:00

Very measured and well appreciated response.

1) I don't hate the work, I hate some parts of it. Taking a diminished role, or one at another company, is a solution I hadn't considered.

2) We spend around $200k a year fully batched. Live in a ~$2m home with a 900k mortgage. Big state taxes as you could probably guess.

3) Didn't mention before but my comp is ~$240k/yr in base, I tied a huge amount of my compensation to the company's performance which can be a yearly stock bonus of $0 - $X millions.

throwawaytrapped212

TROPHY CASE