“Finish up a few interviews and learn a lot about making stickers.”
That was the plan I sent to a few friends after a difficult stretch of deciding what to do next.
The day before, I had met with Aaptiv's CEO and arranged what I believed could become my exit. I would spend two months buttoning up work, help transition my role to the person directly behind me, and help the company find a new office. The financial details were complicated. The point was to create enough room for me to try something very early again.
It was a plan, not a completed departure. There were still details to settle and work to do.
My shorter version was easier to understand. I would finish the Google and Facebook interview processes because they were already well underway. I would keep a few other conversations alive as backstops. Then I would dig into Apply.
Apply was a tiny sticker company. I was excited by the possibility, but I still had plenty to learn. I wanted to understand what was interesting about the business, meet the other collaborators, and decide whether the partnership and company vision were strong enough for both of us to commit.
My ideal outcome was to join as a cofounder or start something else in the next several months. A big-tech role was available as a safer direction, but it was not the one I wanted most.
The next few days looked like the beginning of actual work. I joined an Apply standup. A homework presentation appeared in Drive. There were documents about the company's story, agreements, artwork, and the unglamorous administration required to operate a real business.
None of that proved I had found the answer. It gave me better material for making the decision.
I had not left Aaptiv yet. I had not joined Apply. I had a transition plan, unfinished interviews, and a new subject to study.
The subject was stickers.