I’ve been in tech for 15 years. I’ve seen so many people rage quit and leave the industry. Startups beat you down if you don’t hit a grand slam soon enough. Here are the common journeys: As an exec/employee, if you don’t have a unicorn on your resume within your first 5-7 years, you become unemployable. As a founder, you often either: - have 3+ failed startups (or base hits), or - you stick at one business for 5+ years before it yields real fruit Regardless of your path, you experience a ton of failure and rejection because it’s simply part of the game: - clients churn - prospects ghost - MRR slopes down - your friends and family lose confidence in you - some people go into debt It's mildly traumatic when you experience this over and over again, without much money to show for all of the 70+ hour work weeks. Only the cockroaches survive 10+ years of chewing this glass. The key to survival is more spiritual than strategic. Many cockroaches become jaded. A shell of their former selves. You can’t let the voices of failure and rejection demons live rent free in your mind. You have to take negative thoughts captive. I promise you, you’re not cursed. Keep going.