I sold my first company for $70K, then blew it on the next

I sold my first company for $70K. Then blew every dollar on the next one.

My first attempt was 10 years ago, a service company with co-founders.

We failed.

But I walked away with connections and lessons I'd only recognize later.

A year later, I built another service company.

Used the connections from the previous one, hired a few freelancers, put it all together, found clients, made it work, and sold it for $70K. Back then, that felt like real money.

And here's where it gets interesting.

I thought — damn, I'm good at this.

I figured it out, and now I know how the game works.

So I started another company.

And I didn't sell it.

I burned through that $70K instead.

The thing is, selling a company didn't prove I understand business. It proved that my accumulated experience worked in that specific moment — the right timing, the right conditions, and maybe some luck.

Real understanding comes later.

When you try to repeat the success, and watch it fall apart.

That's when you finally see what actually mattered — and what was just circumstance.

My next attempt was again successful.

A self-hosted generative AI solution for document generation and validation such as loan agreements. Back in 2018, it was a thing and a European bank has acquired it.

So what I'm saying is — don't fear failure.

Fear the moment when you think you've completely nailed it — cracked the code, figured out the universe. Like I did after that first sale.

When you're convinced you're a genius and then you screw up — that stings in a special way. 😅

This story never ends. First you learn how to make money. Then you learn how to blow it. Don't get too attached to the feeling that you've figured it all out.

Is there a way to stay realistic after success, or do we all need to burn some money first? 😁