Some of the most painful and challenging moments in my life would have been easier if I was proactive instead of being reactive.
When things feel like they are going great you tend to put off the hard stuff.
Then inevitably the tough stuff comes along and we are all scrambling to figure it out what to do next.
This pretty much applies to everything in life but in startup land I think it comes up as well.
A few thoughts for every founder and VC to consider:
Get a CFO before you think you need one.
Find a way to get profitable before you think you need to — you can always choose to defer profitability later for growth. The reverse is much harder.
Get an independent board member before you think you need one.
Make diversity a priority upfront.
And lastly, get a coach before you think you need one. My friend Jerry Colonna was my coach during a very intense period of my life. I wish I had worked with a coach earlier.
I would have been a lot happier and better served if I did.