Why I am not into entrepreneurship (anymore)

There was a time where I spent unlimited time in Montréal tech entrepreneurship, from organizing startup weekends, working on MVPs, or crowdfunding the Notman House.

Those were intense years, some good, some bad. I had a few failed ventures, sold a few for what seemed to me a fortune at the time. But it is the past now.

You might ask, “Why don’t you launch a tech startup?”

I do not see the thrill or the motivation.

I do not need more money. What would all-nights bring? Another million owed to investors? A “congrats” in hacker news? None of that feels worth it. I’ve done my time. I know it is possible

I have two sons. One is seven, the other four. They are young and wild, full of questions and mischfief. A thousand reasons to smile. But leave them for a time, and they turn bad, like the the sad plant you forgot to water. They need a parent who is present, not one who is chasing who knows what.

Also, people think being an entrepreneur means freedom. It doesn’t. You always have bosses. If your board or investors aren’t your bosses, then your users are. They’re always there, demanding, expecting improvements. Having a random full-time job means I don’t have to give it 100% every single day. I can take two days off. Do nothing. As a founder, you don’t get that luxury.

And then there’s culture mismatch. In North America, you get medals for making money and entrepreneurship. That’s fine. In other countries, it’s family values. That’s fine too, I understand that. In some places, it’s Culture (with capital C). Which is the absolute best? Who knows? 🤷 The truth is: what matters most is what makes you happy.

But Heri, you say, don’t you want to change the world? Make it better thanks to technology? That was my core reason to kickstart the Montréal tech community, a decade ago. If you look on LinkedIn or online communities, it is not about changing the world in 2023. People want to learn how to be an influencer, make a quick million, or be an entrepreneur just to add the title in LinkedIn or Insta. In 2023, finding a person who truly wants to make the world better is like finding a gold nugget in a coal mine.

For me, freedom isn’t a title or a million dollars. Freedom is not having to answer the phone. And unless there is an catastrophe, there is no reason to change.