Texts with Founders: Support 🕊️

Create the headspace to help others.

Today’s newsletter is a departure for me.

The terror attacks by Hamas on innocent civilians have been described by many as Israel’s 9/11.

As a founder and a human, you have two ways to react to an international tragedy of this scale. You can choose to engage—or not. You can unplug from it all—or follow the situation closely. Some will feel it’s a luxury for a person to have a choice in the matter. They might be correct.

On my end, I’ve decided to engage.

I’ve voiced my disgust and dismay over the terror attacks, shared a note with the On Deck team, and donated to a local grassroots effort in Tel Aviv.

Right now I feel terribly unhelpful. My words and small donation lack the weight of the support I wish I could provide.

How do I respond when another founder asks me what they should do? I have mixed feelings about being prescriptive. If a founder does not want to engage, I do not believe I should judge them for it. Everyone handles grief in different ways.

Take care of yourself so you can take care of others the best you can.

Delete the apps off your phone if that gives you the headspace needed to better support your team and their families. Consider checking in on potentially-impacted customers. Be mindful of the tone of anything you might have planned to publish as a company—ads, announcements, etc.

And remember this: both love and our capacity to solve big problems are worth the effort—despite the odds.