Aidan Tsai

Resolving Startup Stress

Resolving Startup Stress

"Everything will feel broken all the time—the diversity and magnitude of the disasters will surprise you. Your job is to fix them with a smile on your face and reassure your team that it’ll all be okay. Usually, things aren’t as bad as they seem, but sometimes they are in fact really bad. In any case, just keep going. Keep growing." - Sam Altman, Startup Playbook.

Sam Altman's words hit close to home, especially lately, as my startup journey has encountered more turbulence than expected.

Amidst this, I found lots support in the company of fellow founders. Being part of an accelerator opened doors to a network of peers facing similar challenges. It's reassuring to connect with those who get the ups and downs of this path.

However, there's a catch. In sharing your struggles, there's always the risk of your words spreading. So, it's crucial to find the right person to confide in — someone who understands the stakes and respects confidentiality.


More Stories

Why Three Shanghai Banks Exist Today

Why Three Shanghai Banks Exist Today

Interesting story about banks in Taiwan, HK & China.

DEX vs. CEX: Privacy, Convenience, and Trade-offs

DEX vs. CEX: Privacy, Convenience, and Trade-offs

Why & Why not people use DeFi?

My Review of 2024: Change, Confidence, Betrayal, and the Unexpected

My Review of 2024: Change, Confidence, Betrayal, and the Unexpected

My lessons and learned for 2024.

My Goals for 2025: Stronger, Smarter, Happier

My Goals for 2025: Stronger, Smarter, Happier

My Goals for 2025 :)

A Guide for Building in Public

A Guide for Building in Public

A guide for build in public.

Re: The Idea of Human-Level Intelligence

Re: The Idea of Human-Level Intelligence

Revisit my previous post about "human-level intelligence."

A Great Startup Leader

A Great Startup Leader

Commitment is the key.

The Idea of Human-Level Intelligence

The Idea of Human-Level Intelligence

To me, human-level intelligence means more than just smart problem-solving. It’s a complex blend of creativity, memory, and the drive to innovate.

Passed

Passed

My first poem here :)

Why Are Humans Lazy?

Why Are Humans Lazy?

Why use fear to prevent procrastination.

Suno and My Birthday Songs

Suno and My Birthday Songs

My experience with Suno :)

Lebanon's Financial Collapse

Lebanon's Financial Collapse

Lebanon's story.

Our Life Goals

Our Life Goals

Life goal of two co-founders.

Freedom, Uniqueness, and the Creation of New Structures

Freedom, Uniqueness, and the Creation of New Structures

I explore how the freedom to make unique choices has shaped my life's direction.

Just Past 70% of 2024

Just Past 70% of 2024

2024 has been a year of lessons and new beginnings. In the first part, I faced challenges with my startup in Saudi Arabia, learning the hard way that both internal decisions and uncontrollable external factors shape a venture's success. Though it didn’t work out, I gained valuable experience and connections. In the second part, I’ve been fortunate to start a new venture with a friend, developing models to process brainwave data. It’s an exciting and challenging path, and I’m hopeful for what’s to come.

What I'll Do if I Build a Startup Again

What I'll Do if I Build a Startup Again

Through my experiences, I've formed a method for starting a business from the ground up. This method combines lessons from the Lean Startup with my personal stories.

Bootstrapped Startup Success

Bootstrapped Startup Success

Choose your niche wisely, and it's possible to build a thriving business without VC backing.

Best Practices Aren't Always the Best Fit

Best Practices Aren't Always the Best Fit

If best practice didn't work, then, be creative :)

Thoughts on "Lan Yu"

Thoughts on "Lan Yu"

"Lan Yu" - a love story, set against the backdrop of a transformative period in Beijing, brings to light the complexity of love, power dynamics, and societal changes.

Aidan's Bucket List of Life

Aidan's Bucket List of Life

"What's it stuffed with, your hopes and dreams?" I guess yes 😊

Leverages Network Effects to Stand Out

Leverages Network Effects to Stand Out

What is network effects and how can we benefit from it in a crowded segment

Why I Like "Fermat's Cuisine"

Why I Like "Fermat's Cuisine"

My own reflection on "Fermat's Cuisine".

Building a Trust System in Startup Partnerships

Building a Trust System in Startup Partnerships

Inspired by my recent experiences and reflections from "Bad Blood," I tried to write identified patterns in bad partnerships into this blog.

Inspiration from Mechanism Design

Inspiration from Mechanism Design

To my future self: seek out truth, verify rather than assume.

33 Quotes from Startup Playbook by Sam Altman

33 Quotes from Startup Playbook by Sam Altman

Just try to remember what I learned from startup playbook :)

More Than Just Signals

More Than Just Signals

My lessons from wrong decision making.

Finding Startup Ideas

Finding Startup Ideas

As a young entrepreneur fresh out of college, one of my biggest challenge was to find the right problem to solve. Here I try to provide my thoughts on this issue.

Insights from ex-VC Partner

Insights from ex-VC Partner

This article shares valuable insights gained from meeting with VC on how to avoid common pitfalls in AI SaaS startups.

Learning from My Co-founder Departure

Learning from My Co-founder Departure

This article unfolds my journey through a co-founder departure, emphasizing the lessons learned in team building, the importance of aligning skills with startup needs, and fostering a growth-oriented company culture.