It was the most bittersweet day of my professional career.
When David Olk asked me to join the team, I was beyond enthused to roll up my sleeves and own finance and operations for an exciting company preparing to raise its Series A. I loved the vision and the mission. My goal was to help build the business while getting an in-depth education on how to run the day-to-day at a venture-backed technology startup. I hoped to get the kind of valuable experience that would better position me to start my own technology company one day.
I’d be lying if I said that I ever thought I’d end up being asked to take the CEO role. It wasn’t until I sat down to write this note that I realized how proud I am of that accomplishment. It has been an incredible experience and I’ll be eternally grateful to David, Mark Gerson, and Gavin Myers for giving me that opportunity. I hope that the considerable growth we’ve had this year demonstrates a fraction of my gratitude.
Over the past few months, I spent a lot of time wrestling with the unique dynamic you face as a non-founding CEO of an early-stage company. Would I feel comfortable committing the next few years to building our vision for the company and postponing my dream of bringing my own ideas to life? We are all forced to spend so much time asking ‘what if we fail’, I hadn’t really reconciled ‘what if we succeed’ for me personally.
I ultimately felt that I’d have regrets if I didn’t start my own venture. And I could not imagine a better time for that than now. It was an exceedingly difficult decision. I could not have done it without the incredible support of Voray’s Board of Directors. They took a chance on me with their business and then encouraged my own entrepreneurial aspirations. I know how lucky I am to have that dynamic with my Board. I know how rare that is.
I’m going to remain involved in the business, albeit in a more limited capacity. I truly enjoy the work we’ve been doing and I’d hate to not be helping in some way. Plus, it gives me a good reason to chat regularly with our partners, hosts and guests. One of our early employees referred to our product as delightful. It’s really rewarding to deliver delightful product and it’s a pleasure to see what Voray has done for people.
I’m also grateful to David Olk for being willing to step back into the CEO role. That wasn’t an easy thing to ask. His commitment to Voray and his support of my professional goals have been awesome. He championed my hire, my promotions, my ascension to the CEO role and my plan to transition off the business. Having someone like that in your corner is priceless.
Thank you to the wonderful team I’ve had the opportunity to work with. The people that make up Voray are truly special. Talented, hardworking, communicative, and collaborative. I learned so much from these folks and I’d be thrilled to work with any of them again in the future. Voray, at its core, is about relationships. We believe in the power of relationships to help people accomplish their professional goals. My time at Voray has certainly been a testament to this belief.