My move to Aaptiv happened much faster than I planned. I had expected to stay at Reonomy through at least the middle of the year, but Aaptiv made a compelling case.
The new job started at full speed. I was learning the company, talking to candidates, meeting people around the business, and doing user interviews early in the morning. There were already plenty of emails buried in my inbox.
The rest of my life did not clear the calendar for the transition.
I had been trying to make a racing comeback, but a stress fracture put running on hold. I started spinning more instead. A friend and I tried to meet for a morning Flywheel class. I had to move the first one because I had user interviews at 8:30. A few days later, I left work late, went home, and planned to meet him at Flywheel the next morning.
It was not the training I wanted. It was still training.
An apartment I owned had its own list. The internet kept dropping. The washer and dryer needed service. A door handle still needed attention. I bought a new router, tried to line up an appliance technician, and planned to spend part of Saturday installing and fixing things.
That work was small and very specific. The router either worked or it did not. The technician either arrived or I had to schedule another visit. Property ownership has plenty of spreadsheets and long plans, but it also has Saturdays spent looking at a washing machine.
Friends kept calling about their companies too. One was thinking through how to finance the next stage of a startup without forcing the wrong kind of round. I offered to brainstorm people who might fit and moved things around to make time. Another friend was considering what to do next, so I made an introduction to somebody I thought would be helpful.
None of this was a separate, organized side hustle. It was just how my weeks worked. A new operating job took most of my attention. Training fit into the morning when my body allowed it. Property work landed on the weekend. Startup conversations happened over drinks, email, and whatever open space was left.
I liked the mix, even when it was messy. The job gave me a large product and team problem to work on. Spinning gave me a way to keep moving while I could not run. The apartment gave me something physical to fix. Helping friends kept me connected to companies outside my own.
There was a limit to how much could fit. My inbox made that clear. So did the missed class, the rescheduled workout, and the repair list.
It was messy and that was normal. That week meant user interviews, a bike that stayed in one place, a new router, and a few useful calls with friends.