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Kettle Vapor: 4 Lessons I Learned in 2023
Revisting what really matters
One Year Ago
I gave a speech on the topic of kettle vapor.
It’s worth revisiting.
The Observer Express
Don’t have time to read the entire post right now? No worries, here are the main points:
Life is not a problem to solve, a competition to win, or a right I’ve earned.
Life is a gift.
Here are 4 lessons I learned in 2023.
**Scheduling Note: I’ll be taking the next 2 weeks off for the holidays and will resume normal weekly issues on January 3rd.
Background
Each year, during the months of December and January, I find myself (along with millions of others) reflecting on the year and on what’s really important in life. Years ago I heard a sermon based on the book of Ecclesiastes that I’ve never forgotten and has shaped much of my outlook on life. As we close the page on 2023 and turn to 2024, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what I believe life is, what it is not, and 4 major lessons learned in 2023.
Life is Not…
1. A Problem to Solve
I solve problems all day every day.
We all do.
The early-stage investing world in particular is fascinated by identifying “good problems”.
It’s tempting to think about life that way.
Why?
Because there are just so many problems out there.
It’s overwhelming, and there’s no way I, you, or anyone else could ever solve them all.
The good news is that life itself is not a “problem” to solve.
2. A Competition to Win
It’s been said that “comparison is the thief of joy.”
I agree.
Viewing life as a competition to win guarantees only one outcome: I look around and realize I simply can’t win.
There’s always someone better.
Someone who raised more, did more, had a better exit, or enjoyed their career more.
Even if I do “win” at something, that victory is exclusively limited to one area, for one transient moment.
Someone else always comes along.
As a result, this view can lead me to feel dissatisfied with who I actually am and the experience I’ve actually had.
The good news is that life itself is not a competition to win.
3. A Right I’ve Earned
Life is not linear.
In a linear world, doing x always equals y.
There are some parts of life that are this way, like the laws of nature.
But generalizing this “cause and effect” view to life more broadly can have painful consequences.
It can cause me to obsess over the way things ought to be.
Then I miss the joy in being present with what is, despite its messiness.
The good news is that life itself is not a right I’ve earned.
Life is…
A gift.
It’s kettle vapor; here one moment and gone the next.
If it’s a gift, it’s not a problem to solve, not a competition to win, and not a right I’ve earned.
If life is a gift, I can respond to it with one posture: gratitude.
This idea is not borne of naïve optimism.
It’s not an empty platitude, either - I’ve been through my fair share of tough times, and in no way do I aim to minimize the suffering, sorrow, and loss that so many of us have experienced.
It is simply the one way, the only way, that I have found to approach this kettle-vapor life that has delivered lasting happiness and joy regardless of the circumstances.
4 Lessons Learned in 2023
In case you haven’t noticed, every week I share 3 lessons I learned that week. In preparation for this issue, I reviewed all 84 lessons I shared since kicking off the practice. I discovered 4 themes, which I’ve distilled below.
I hope you enjoy sharing in these lessons with me.
Lesson 1: Relationships are Everything🤝
Events are a great investment. (July 5, Lesson 2)
Relationships are everything. (Aug 23, Lesson 1)
5 killer mistakes for young founders like me. (Aug 23, Lesson 3)
Referrals are insane. (Sep 27, Lesson 2)
In-person team meetings are worth the extra effort. (Nov 1, Lesson 1)
Business hack: make friends. (Nov 22, Lesson 2)
Lesson 2: Overindex on Clear Communication📢
Talking to customers about your thing is a really good idea. (Jul 5, Lesson 3)
Communicating the essence of a business in 60s or less is hard. (Jul 26, Lesson 3)
Terminology Matters. (Aug 2, Lesson 1)
Getting people on the phone tends to reveal the real story. (Aug 30, Lesson 2)
Clear communication is hard to learn, but essential to master. (Sep 13, Lesson 1)
When the team is aligned decisions get made fast. (Oct 11, Lesson 1)
Effectively visualizing a process creates the foundation for change. (Nov 8, Lesson 2)
Lesson 3: Time is Precious.⏳
Time is precious. (Jun 21, Lesson 3)
Numbering your days is humbling. (Jul 12, Lesson 2)
Life can change pretty fast. (Jul 26, Lesson 1)
It's tempting to sacrifice work on the business when there's a lot to do in it. (Oct 25, Lesson 3)
Sometimes, recognizing wasted time is the best way to save time. (Nov 15, Lesson 2)
Taking time off is humbling. (Nov 29, Lesson 2)
Lesson 4: Hard Work is a Required Input🔨
There's only one way to earn your stripes. (Aug 23, Lesson 2)
Defining a clear strategy is hard, and takes more work than you'd think. (Sep 6, Lesson 3)
There’s a big difference between research and analysis. (Sep 20, Lesson 3)
Thoughtful analysis is difficult to produce. (Nov 8, Lesson 1)
Ridiculous prep drives ridiculous quality. (Nov 22, Lesson 1)
Final Thoughts
It’s been a joy sharing my journey with you over the last 6 months, and I’m excited to continue writing content like this next year. I’ll be taking the next 2 weeks off for the holidays, and will resume normal weekly issues on January 3rd. Have a blessed holiday, and we’ll see you next year.
What do you think?
How do you think about big life questions like this? Which lesson stuck out the most to you? I love chatting about philosophical topics, shoot me a note if you’d like to connect.
Weekly Observations: 3 Lessons Learned
Humans love to know their work moves the needle.👥This week I debriefed the semester with a member of our team over lunch. During that meeting, one of the things that they said was most impactful about their experience so far is that it’s very obvious their work matters. They get to see the difference it makes every week. I think this is one of the coolest parts about working for a very small company versus a large corporation. Everyone’s work makes a huge impact on the business.
Follow-through matters.⏰This week several people let me down. They committed to do something by a specific date, and failed to come through. Even if it’s a small or insignificant task, giving one’s word and subsequently breaking it is a very fast way to destroy a reputation. The flip side is also true - I’ve come to deeply value people who get things done and can communicate reliably about it. I aspire to be this kind of person and to work with these kinds of people.
Community storytelling is truly special.🧙This week my church small group got to enjoy a small Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) adventure together during a friend’s birthday. If you’ve never done it before, D&D is basically just group storytelling where one person serves as the authority that enforces a few loose rules (the dungeon master) and everyone else is a character in the story. What made it so unique and fun is that every person got to make decisions about what their character did, and those decisions directly impacted everyone else’s experience. Every person got to contribute to the story that we wove together as a group, and I learned a ton about each person through the experience. I highly recommend it and look forward to the next one.
Weekly Links: 3 Things I Found Interesting
Thanks for reading, have a great week.
-Andrew
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend, colleague, or anyone else who may benefit.
P.S. - I recently finished creating The Angel Network Toolkit: 90 Resources for Cultivating a Thriving Community of Pre-Series B Investors, and I’m sharing it with anyone who refers a friend.
How did I do this week?
About Me
I cultivate flourishing.
I'm also the CEO of PitchFact, where our mission is to cultivate flourishing specifically through efficient and collaborative early-stage diligence. I'm a proud husband, grateful father, and honest friend. My love languages include brisket, bourbon, and espresso.