Raising money fucked me up

Four months after quitting my job to start Skald with co-founder Pedrique, I faced an unexpected consequence of fundraising: it broke my mental framework for building a business.

The Funding Compromise

Our original plan was simple: bootstrap while testing ideas. My savings provided runway, but Pedrique's dwindling resources forced our hand. When freelance work threatened to split our focus, we chose fundraising to preserve full-time collaboration. We secured backing from exceptional angels including my former bosses (PostHog and Doublepoint founders) and Broom Ventures.

The Hidden Cost

Investors were supportive—no pressure, valuable advice. But after pivoting and facing monetization struggles, I found myself paralyzed. Days evaporated in unproductive brainstorming while frustration mounted. Why?

The Psychology of Expectations

I realized I'd internalized others' belief in me. For years, colleagues described my "founder potential" based on:

• High-ownership roles
• Experience in 0→1 journeys
• Big-picture thinking Now, with respected mentors financially betting on me, failure meant disproving their confidence. This manifested as:

Symptom	Consequence
Distorted prioritization	Evaluating ideas by "how big they feel" rather than problem-solution fit
Growth obsession	Fixating on traction metrics vs strategic community-building
Productivity collapse	Days lost to anxiety-driven ideation

The Turning Point

A conversation revealed my core fear: "It's safer to be someone who could succeed than someone who tries and fails." Fundraising erased that psychological safety net. There was no longer ambiguity about my entrepreneurial commitment—the experiment was running.

Recalibration

Three mindset shifts restored clarity:

1. Investors bet on us, not the pitch
2. Process > short-term metrics (even if slower than TechCrunch darlings)
3. Sales skills require dedicated learning (no hiding in technical work)

Unexpected Benefit

This public confession continues my philosophy: writing openly about insecurities, failures and dreams removes interpersonal filters. If potential readers know my struggles, I can interact authentically.

To founders considering funding: Recognize how external validation might distort your compass. Money solves runway problems but introduces psychological ones. We're now building steadily—email me if you're navigating similar terrain.

Present status: Motivated and refocused, with gratitude for those walking this path.