It's a new year, and I hope every founder reads this and takes a breath to ask themselves, "is this the startup I want to build for another year?"
Because you don't have to build that startup if you don't want to.
And to be clear, I'm not saying you shouldn't build that startup. But you should CHOOSE to build it. Every day, every month, every year.
Keep building that startup because you've considered the alternatives and, f*cking hell, there is nothing else in the world you should be doing. This is THE THING.
If you have doubts about the ICP, or the business model, or the team... you can change them. They aren't fixed in stone.
Or just shut the whole thing down and become a working stiff for a while. It's not the end of the world. You have permission to do something different.
I guarantee you that when you consider shutting your business down for a day, if you wake up tomorrow and keep at it, you'll feel an entirely new level of enthusiasm for the work.
Start a company because you cannot not start that company.
Keep building that company because you cannot not keep working on it.
You have the con.
Happy New Year!