Keep Showing Up
It's the consistency that counts.
Here I am, in week 5 of Jab’s Lab, and while I have 20 half-written drafts sitting in my Substack, I am finding it hard to bring any of them across the finish line. I don’t have anything as polished or top of mind as the AI topics I wrote about the last two weeks. None of the words seem to be coming to me.
With that said, I made a commitment to myself that I’d post every week. And I think this week is as good a lesson as any: even when motivation wanes, commitment can endure.
Just keep showing up.
So today I guess I’ll talk a bit about my recent journey. It’s one of those topics that falls into the “I write about life” category.
For those of you who don’t know, I was laid off from Scoop at the end of September last year. As is the case with many startups, we failed to find product market fit despite three different pivots over the course of my two and a half years at the company.
Despite the anticlimactic ending, I was incredibly proud of the work I did while I was at Scoop. It was the most inspired product and engineering work I’ve ever done, and I learned a tremendous amount from all of the intelligent people I was constantly surrounded by.
In October, I incorporated Jab Labs1 as an LLC in Illinois. Back then, I wasn’t quite sure what I was planning on doing next. I had 5 more classes until graduation, which I knew I did not want to delay any longer2. I knew that AI tools were rapidly improving productivity, and I rebuilt Split It from the ground up to prove to myself that I could develop quicker than ever. I knew that there was a new wave of AI development coming, but I could not quite articulate how that would affect me or my next role.
The last four months have been a wild journey for me. The emotions associated with it have been a roller coaster, with days ranging from “I love what I am doing right now” to “I need to get a job ASAP”. But my thesis has been the same: that I can leverage my skills and experience from my previous roles at startups to build good tech and help others do the same. I have spoken to, worked with, and helped many founders, with work ranging from building strategic tech plans to beginning development on an MVP.
At its core, Jab Labs is a tech consulting firm. I specialize in helping founders find their footing in the industry, starting small. But Jab Labs is also my umbrella company for the side projects I plan to launch. I know that there are some niche products that I can build to solve some fun niche problems. And I do believe there is value in these solutions that people will pay for. We will see3. Also, having an armada of micro-apps all generating some revenue would be fun.
So what comes next?
This March will be a big month for me. Not only will I be celebrating my 30th birthday, but I will also be completing my 5 year journey at Chicago Booth. It has been a great ride, one I plan to chronicle in depth in a future post4.
Managing my time as a solo contractor, an early-stage startup advisor, a part-time student, a bootstrapping entrepreneur, and a full-time social person has proven to be very difficult. Part of me feels like all of these different hats I’m wearing are pulling me in different directions, but I know deep down that they are all connected. My work at startups, my experience learning about product fundamentals, my journey through Booth, my time as a software engineer, these are all leading to something bigger. And while I know I am doing the right thing for me every day, it is sometimes hard to give myself credit for the progress that I am making. I guess the progress is in showing up and continuing to write, build new things, meet new people, and engage with new opportunities.
I’m hoping that through the process of continually showing up and putting in the effort, the journey continues to unfold, and I continue to gain certainty about my direction. And I will keep bringing you along for the ride. I am so appreciative of your support.
Until next Tuesday,
-Cory5
Of course, not to be confused with this publication, “Jab’s Lab.” I still say the wrong one at times.
5 years at Booth seems like plenty, even for me, and I felt like I had overstayed my welcome.
Split It has officially generated $17 in revenue, thanks to my friend Cristen and brother Alec.
While I say it’s been a great ride, that’s tough to stand by as I sit here at 6pm about to walk into my first of three 3-hour evening classes this week. With just 4 weeks left in this quarter, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Posted at 11:59pm – officially still Tuesday. I kept showing up today, and for that, I’m proud of myself.