Starting a startup at 38 years old

I tried not to think about anything and detoxify from the corporate world and reconnect with my two beautiful daughters. The purpose of this stop in October was to take a sabbatical

In October 2014, I left an executive position at a renowned corporation in Brazil. I was exhausted from all the corporate life dynamics, and I saw myself being pulled further away from my family, and my world has become just business.

I decided to leave it all behind and put my life in order, whatever that meant at the time.

From October to December, I tried not to think about anything to detoxify from the corporate world and reconnect with my two beautiful daughters. The purpose of this stop in October was to take a sabbatical until June 20 next year.

Sure, that really happened (Sarcasm)!

Luciana (my wife) laughs to this day! I promised her and me that I would dedicate myself only to my family and MBA (IESE) during this period.

Who knows me a little bit must be laughing pretty hard now.

10 days later, on my sabbatical, I had already designed a business plan for two potential startups. By December 30, 2015, 13 business plans had been drawn up. Two consultancy projects were carried out—a complete idiot (I can curse myself, you can't). But I did it at my own pace, in my hours, having time for my daughters, wife, and friends. How did I do that? I have no idea.

The passion for entrepreneurship has always been with me, but it seemed like a teenage, maddening passion during that period. There was only one problem: 13 startup ideas, one head, two arms ... You can't do everything. I remember precisely the day that Luciana asked me: - Do you try to explain to me what a sabbatical this is? That was right after Christmas 2015.

I need to make a decision: choose one project or select none.

January 13 (marked on the agenda) is my birthday. We were at Guarujá. I woke up at 04 AM to see the sunrise. I turned 38 that day. Holy Molly, 39, with little hair and a white beard, and I was already a family man. I was alone, waiting for my day to begin, waiting for divine light to help me make a choice. The day was born beautiful, promising a lot of light and heat, and nothing happened. I stayed there waiting for my family to wake up, and nothing happened. When I remembered a sentence:

"If the sea did not dare to die on the beach, the spectacle of the waves could never be" - Author: I do not remember, I am sure it is not mine.

But what really touched me was when I heard from my wife: "Make a decision. I don't want to see you sad next year for not doing what you wanted." When we got back home, I took everything I had drawn from the 13 projects. I went back to studying them, carefully and lovingly. Still, I knew I had to make a choice, and the choice of doing nothing was impossible for me.

At that time, I decided not on one but on three startups ideas that I'm very proud of. The three ideas become MVP and one startup. One of those had a five years run. And during this time, one of my many learnings was about the Silver Bullet Myth.

That was six years ago, and a lot of things had happened. I will share all about it in the next posts. Stay tuned.