Let me repeat: Internet Start-ups are not for Wimps! They are not for:

• The faint of heart
• The intestinally weak
• Risk-adverse people
• Those seeking stable and predictable employment.
• Those looking to make a fast buck.
• Those who cannot adapt on the fly.
• Those who buckle under pressure.
• Those who have difficulty moving beyond disappointments or failures.
• Those not prepared to endure some short term pain for long term gain.

I was sitting at my desk last week, going through some of the final tasks before the pending launch of our own Internet Start-up and was hit with a "Deep Thought". I looked back on the last 12 months of blood, sweat and tears that we had invested into this Internet Start-up and the only words that could come to mind was "Internet Start-ups are not for Wimps!" We had certainly weathered our own storm complete with failures, set-backs, diappointments and delays to get to the point of finally birthing our own Internet Start-up

As I reflected on some of the set backs we had overcome, I thought about the biggest challenge we had endured in our short Internet life that occurred 3 months ago. At that time, our development team was not hitting any of our benchmarks and was dealing with some signficant conflicts within their own team. Everything eventually went "down the tubes" forcing us to pull the plug on a team we had worked closely with for 9 months and enlist a new company to complete the final elements of the project. It was during that time that the thoughts of giving up and "throwing in the towel" came to mind. This set-back seemed insurmountable and yet after a short "pity party", we sucked it up, recruited a talented new development team and never looked back. Just when we thought our "intestinal fortitude" was tested beyonds it’s limits, we found a way to rise to the occassion! This was a big victory and turning point for our team and company.

So, certainly Internet Start-ups can be a gut-wrenching and humbling experience at times, but I tell you…….  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!  Sometimes there is nothing more exhilerating then successfully navigating the stormy waters of this crazy Internet Start-up - unbelievably challenging, testing my abilities to the max, but immensely rewarding. I feel now like I have just survived the first 38 days on "Survivor" and have one day left (one immunity challenge) to endure before we hit the finish line! (Or, should I say the Starting point).

This is my first post in a little "mini-series" I am going to run on Internet Start-ups - keep tuned in… should be interesting!

Let me leave you with a great scene from Apollo13, where an committed NASA engineering team battles some serious adversity in trying to find a way to bring three astonauts stranded in a damaged space craft home……

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