For the folks feeling a little nostalgic as we round out 2024…
An open letter from a tired and sleepy startup guy
I’ve been feeling nostalgic for days gone by lately. I’m sure I’m not alone in missing the luxury of the naivety we enjoyed just a few years ago.
As a vintage millennial whose identity was shaped by working for [insert name of massively hyped late-2010s startup here], I miss the maverick spirit of those times (and whatever head injury made that my personality!). I miss things like:
Working for founders who wanted to create havens for like-minded folks just as much as they wanted to ship products. Sure, those havens were mostly kombucha, insanely long hours, and tequila but the intention was exciting at least! 🙃
Meeting your “normie/muggle” friends for dinner and watching them try not to roll their eyes all the way back as you giddily monologue about “the ‘sleep space’ being so much more interesting than I ever imagined since starting my shiny new job at Casper!” Meanwhile, all of those friends collectively thought, “dude, why are you this pumped about selling mattresses?” 😑
Toiling away in the slack and email mines, believing your vesting (but heavily diluted) common stock would eventually make you a millionaire - the burnout will totally be worth it in the end, right?? 🤡
Yes, I know that a lot of what came with how we once were was low key problematic. And yes, many industries go from basically being the dangerous but exciting wild west in the early days, to cosplaying as McKinsey consultants once they begin to consolidate and mature. That doesn’t mean I can’t still pine for those old days - they were fun!
The things we were working on felt seismic. WeWork felt seismic. Glossier felt seismic! If I’m being real though, this nostalgia isn’t just about getting older. I’m in an especially reflective mood as we round out yet another rollercoaster year.
The outcome of the recent US election, in particular, definitely triggered this mood in me. I miss simpler times - a time when not every single topic was part of a forever culture war. I miss feeling like I had the luxury of being more ignorant and reckless than I afford myself today. I miss “moving fast and breaking things”. I miss the collective levity in my bubble that I once took for granted.
I also feel the weight of knowing that I need to strive to be even less ignorant in 2025 - a burden I wish I didn’t need to carry mostly because I’m just so tired and sleepy! Now I have such joyous additional tasks like:
Figuring out ways to support grassroots movements that help pregnant folks in anti-abortion states safely access the options they should have available close to home.
Being even more active in encouraging the children in my life to be both anti-racist anti-transphobic, and to think critically amidst the opposite rhetoric they’re going to grow up hearing.
Figuring out how to discourage the (alarming number of) young men I encounter from ostensibly being members of the Hitler Youth.
Ugh, this is all a little depressing. It’s also incredibly important and kind of intense - I’m just a baby boy and I really don’t recall signing up for all this!
Things didn’t used to feel this way, and I guess what I’m saying is I miss a time where it felt like I wasn’t in an ongoing state of having to do so much, to think so hard.
I know 2025 and the years ahead will come with many challenges and I also know these bring with them a lot of responsibility. As rewarding as it will be to try to tackle that, I’m kind of tired of being one of god’s soldiers. I’m just so sleepy and in desperate need of a good nap. I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way.
But we got this.
BU Community Wins
Flowers for Larra Haftevani, whose latest career move at Billie sees her taking on the role of Head of Sales Strategy! 💐
Henry Simonds announced that TURN has been acquired by VYTAL to form the world’s largest reuse company! Exciting times ahead as they work to eliminate single-use plastic at scale. ♻️
Shoutout to Jess Eggert whose Brand Person newsletter has quickly become a favourite! She has a unique eye for brand and culture, and it’s amazing to see the perspectives she shares. Her recent “The Brand Person Gift Guide” entry is one to especially check out for the folks in need of last-minute gift inspo! 🤓
BU is partnering with Prose to award a $10k grant to BIPOC entrepreneurs; in particular, for women-owned businesses, especially Black women entrepreneurs. We'll also be supporting the person the grant is awarded to through coaching, mentorship, and supporting their journey through fundraising. Here’s the link to apply - please share with folks in your network who you feel would want to apply too! 💚
We’ve been cooking with gas when it comes to our BU Sessions events! Radical honesty and truly valuable connections are all too rare in startup land, so it’s been so rewarding to host these intimate affairs. We most recently had the honour of featuring conversations between Aasiyah Abdulsam and Dianna Cohen, Neha Gandhi and Alexa Hampton, and Neada Deters and Chelsea Leyland. Can’t wait to share what we’ve got coming up in 2025! ✨
Jobs
There are over 500 live job postings in the BU Job Board, all pulled in from across the consumer startup and scale up world. Remember to bookmark the link, set a reminder to make it your first stop for discovering job postings that are out there, and pay it forward by sharing the link with people you know who are actively looking or are curious.
Reach out via hello@blackunicorn.com especially if you’re interested in applying for any of our Featured Job posts, or if you would like to learn more about posting a Featured Job your company is recruiting for. Some new additions to the job board include:
Only a few days left before we can pull the ripcord - catch you in 2025. ✌️
JT