Making Miracles Ordinary: The Decline of Aviation

It’s 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon and my brother and I are arguing with an American Airlines agent about transit policies for the United Kingdom. Despite being a very frequent traveler with the airline ad this route, the agent at JFK is dismissive. I eventually end up calling the executive desk at American Airlines who then summons the airport manager to resolve the issue. 

This entire process – and frustration that goes along with it takes nearly 2 hours and completely turns me off. What was supposed to start off as an amazing trip to India for a family wedding ends up starting off with extreme frustration. 

As sad as this is – American Airlines is probably the best US airline in regards to dealing with these types of disputes, especially if you are a premium passenger. Overall, most commercial airlines in the United States suffer from the same problem. 

Aviation is magical. Someone plans a trip with the intention of enjoying their destination. And while they’re thinking about the destination, the excitement starts far before that – when they are planning the trip, when they’re working out the logistics and when the arrive at the airport. 

But, today, when you get to an airport, you’re almost guaranteed to be ripped off. Many casual travelers have no choice but to put up with the frustrating policies of airlines. It starts off with the baggage policies, then it’s the TSA in the United States and then it’s the $4 bottles of water – if you are lucky. 

And that’s how most people end their vacation – dealing with the antiquated policies of airlines that are struggling to remain profitable. 

Here’s the thing – airlines and aviation in general are perhaps one of the largest drivers of innovation of our generation. 

I’ve had the great pleasure of going to bed in New York and waking up in Sydney. 

I’ve had the distinct honor of judging technology contests at 35,000 feet. 

I’ve flown in aircraft that define and then redefine luxury. 

I’m just wrapping up a 34 hour trip – door to door – and I’m writing this on a seat that becomes a bed while wearing PJs and being pampered with cologne and other premium products by the world’s best designers. 

But, I’m also fortunate that I’ve figured out how to make this all happen for me. For me, regardless of the destination, travel is still something so amazingly beautiful. The folks that I know who work in aviation are genuinely happy about how aviation connects the world. These people are friends, some are family. They want to see innovation. They still get excited when they get to visit a new country, whether it’s once a year or once a month. 

Airlines – especially in the United States – have made the process of flying such a drag that I really wish we could hit the reset button and start all over again. 

There isn’t a single person I know who wouldn’t like to be treated like a human being again on an aircraft. Aviation connects families. It reunites people. It fosters new relationships and has done more for commerce than many other forms of innovation the past few decades. 

So, to all the legacy United States carriers – let’s keep the bigger picture in mind. Let’s reinvent and redefine commercial aviation. For our sake. And especially for yours. 

A Tale of 3 Summers

Startups are risky and hard. Respect for those brave enough to try. Entrepreneurs are what drive innovation and job creation.

— Chris Dixon (@cdixon) July 17, 2015

I've been thinking about this quote for a while lately. Despite all what is written about startups, the word risky and hard hold the most truth.

Risky: to most people, risky means simply walking away from a bad relationship hoping that something better comes along. Or quitting a job in the hopes that they might land somewhere else. Or traveling to a different country.

Hard: to most people, hard means extra effort. Or extra time.

But when you're running a company, it means so much more. Without getting into the romanticism of of startup life, here is a tale of 3 summers in reverse chronological order.

Summer 2015:

As I'm writing this, it is Tuesday. One day before this article gets published. I’m sitting solo at a bar in midtown Manhattan dealing with emails, text messages and catching up from everything. I was at my first meeting at 8:15am and by the time I fall asleep, I've had some very tough conversations to the point of being paralyzed emotionally. But — also moving on from them.

You can never let fear paralyze you. I've seen people give up because of fear. And yes, it feels great to have that one sigh of relief after giving up. But that comes with regret.

I've always had a policy that once you start something — you don’t look back. You never quit. You never give up.

I could walk away from ALL of this. But, as a friend has always reminded me — don’t walk away when you've paid off the interest on the car and don't own the car.

At 5pm today — I backed away from a bachelor party that I had already paid for and said yes to. The person is a good friend of mine and circumstances over the past 120 hours have made it nearly impossible for me to do anything of that scale. It sucks. Hell, it hurts. But — some days, it’s about making excruciatingly hard choices.

And I know that most people don’t think that startup entrepreneurs make those choices. The fact is — they do. They make them every single day about their family, about their friends and about themselves. You think it's easy getting texts like this from highly respected individuals who all tell you that you're going to fail?

Hell. No.

And then when you have to tell your investors you’re drawing all of your 401k because you believe in it that much?

And yet, knowing that all of this could go away and you still have the potential of ending up with nothing is such a surreal feeling — it’ almost surreal.

Regrets? No.

Why? Because success is in our drive. You haven't seen drive until you've met an entrepreneur who has nothing to lose.

Summer 2014:

I'm sitting outside the Hyatt in Union Square listening to one of my partners and our financier. Turns out, the deal we had struck with this company is no longer on the table because of a change of heart.

And that’s how that meeting ended — the news was delivered, we got up and went our separate ways.

To put it in perspective, our product was about to launch and we had been negotiating with our lead investor for the entire summer. Everything was moving along, papers were being signed and then — nothing.

I remember texting my trainer and letting him know that I would no longer be able to train with him. Why? Because I had to drastically reprioritize my finances in order to keep the company alive.

If you haven't been in the unfortunate place of fundraising for a company, I will say this now — it is challenging. You bet so many things on this one act and most of the times, it falls apart.

For our previous company, hundreds of people told us that we couldn't do it. And we did it. We did it right. We spent extra time on it. We were compliant. And we launched our product — the way we wanted and with great success.

There are things in life that will set you back a few months, a few years and maybe even longer than that. But, as long as you never give up and keep chugging forward — I promise you this — your perseverance and desire to succeed will make it nearly impossible for anyone to come in your way.

Summer 2013:

I'm sitting in a conference room in Amsterdam pitching PaLaCart. The team across the table seems really interested. We review business models, financial operations and investment needs. After a very long day of meetings, things seem to be on the right path. We go to a private penthouse to celebrate success with our partners.

Later that night, we grab dinner with the investors, go to the best clubs that Amsterdam has to offer and gradually see the sunrise the next day.

Life couldn't be better. The product is working. The investors are treating us to a night we couldn't imagine.

Fast forward a few weeks, the same investors are in New York and we start looking into the final details of the deal. Everything seems to be going well until we hit upon a snag — a legal and financial compliance issue. They can help us resolve it fairly quickly, but they don’t believe that the team is strong enough to be able to pull it off.

And just like that — everything crumbles down. It’s over.

Or so we thought. Not only did we end up raising a large round after that rejection, we also managed to get the license, making us one of the very few startups in the entire world to be able to negotiate a deal of that size.

You can measure the ups when you are an entrepreneur. However, there is no way you can predict the lows. Know that the lows are part of the journey. And know that the only way to recover from whatever is holding you back is to push forward in ways that even you never thought were possible.

Being an entrepreneur takes indescribable strength. And the only way you win — is by being strong enough to take whatever is thrown at you.

Be strong. Trust yourself. There are a lot of people that will tell you no. Use that as force to get a bigger yes.

Comfort Zones, Focus and Feeling New

When I came back from New Zealand, I made some critical decisions. Some of them were painful to make. Others were necessary. Not for today, nor for tomorrow.

The worst part about growing up is that people settle and become comfortable.

“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.”
― Shannon L. Alder

Comfort doesn’t move the world forward.

But, being uncomfortable also doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is OK. There are two ways to react to being uncomfortable — one is fear and terror. The other is optimism and the desire to succeed.

The first option — almost always — will paralyze you and throw you into a downward spiral.

The second option — the more challenging of the two — will push your limits every single day.

Unfortunately, there is a very thin line between the two options. And going over the line in either way is an easy trap.

When I look back on every success story, it is riddled with anecdotes of rejection, failure and tough decisions.

As painful as it is, it is necessary. Over the past 10 days, I've narrowed my focus to a select few goals.

No longer am I taking calls at 5:30am to answer random questions. And no longer am I a sounding board about relationships, work problems or industry trends. Our group of companies are on the cusp of solving not one, but two large problems in e-commerce. That requires significant focus.

Just earlier today, I asked a client to email me again in September simply because I don’t have the ability to think about anything else at the moment.

I now wake up at 9am; go to the gym, grab breakfast and make it to my office by 11am. Only then do I check my emails and deal with the rest of the world.

Doing so consistently over the past few days has proved useful.

• One of my portfolio companies has listed me as a co-inventor on a geolocation patent. Thank you, Ryan + team.
• I have been rejected far more times in the past week than I have in the past few months. Which is a great thing, purely based on the law of numbers.
• I’ve spent my weekend doing things I am genuinely passionate about. This includes: photography, long brunches (4 hours!) and meeting with investors/advisors.

None of the above are glorious in anyway shape or form. But, I thoroughly enjoy building products.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it”
― Abraham Lincoln

Being in New York and being a startup founder forces you to run at a million miles an hour. In that time, people forget that the only thing that makes the world move forward is people. People that understand human nature. People that solve huge problems. And people that genuinely and truly care.

Being compassionate doesn’t mean being a pushover. It means understanding other people. It means remembering that people have feelings. One of my favorite books is Not Fade Away — A Short Life Well Lived.

Some people are born to lead and destined to teach by the example of living life to the fullest, and facing death with uncommon honesty and courage. Peter Barton was that kind of person.

Driven by the ideals that sparked a generation, he became an overachieving Everyman, a risk-taker who showed others what was possible. Then, in the prime of his life — hugely successful, happily married, and the father of three children — Peter faced the greatest of all challenges. Diagnosed with cancer, he began a journey that was not only frightening and appalling but also full of wonder and discovery.

Compassion is not about walking away. Compassion is about listening and caring for others. Compassion is not about acting superior when others are down. Compassion is about showing up with strong shoulders and open arms. Compassion is treating others well. And once you do, I can promise you that you will feel more than you have ever felt. And you and everyone else around you will be better off.

As uncomfortable as I am right now, the feeling of uncertainty and unknown is exciting. It reminds me of days where I made decisions without fear. But more importantly, it reminds me of results and work that I was proud of: two books, half-a-dozen books with credits, a magazine cover, a top-10 podcast, etc.

On: Startups, Love, Life and Loss

I’ve been trying to write a version of this article for roughly 3 years. Around that time, I had already kicked off and committed myself to PaLaCart. Unlike some commitments in my life, I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of making it successful.

The definition of success during that time has changed quite drastically. That term continues to evolve on a very frequent basis as I get to know myself, pursue my goals and live in a moment where everything is uncertain — except for the uncertainty.

I know just a few things — I know that tomorrow morning if I wake up, I’ll have a list of things to do. I know that when I go to bed tomorrow, I’ll have a list of things that I’ve crossed off my list, but also a bigger list than I originally started off with. I know that my nights are going to be spent sleeping, but also with thoughts and ways of finding success.

The morning after that, success might mean sleep.

The weekend after that, success might mean going to an office and meeting with only the people that I want to deal with — and no one else.

But, as someone who prefers to look at things in a long-term way, I know that success is a misnomer. Success doesn’t look like the famed hockey-stick chart. Success isn’t a destination. Success isn’t a day or date of accomplishment.

Success is a lot more than that.

Success is having the privilege of waking up in the morning, seeing the people you truly care about and enjoying every moment of every single day without having to worry about what tomorrow holds.

Because the one thing I’ve realized time over time is that tomorrow is not guaranteed. And not in the tragic way either.

As I’m about to draw on my 401k to fund my latest company, my definition of success today means survival.

And basic survival — to be able to eat and pay rent.

I try to live a life without any regrets. Doing that forces me to make decisions. It’s not about separating the good ones from the bad ones. It is about making them. Most days, I sit back, stare at screens, hide behind a keyboard and try to rattle off my plan for world domination.

In reality, that means realizing that it could all go away in a heartbeat. And that is not the scariest thing of all.

The scariest thing of all is to realize that life, no matter what, will go on. And it is your job to either strap in and go for the ride. Or to unbuckle your seatbelt right now and give up because you are too scared.

I’ve funded my companies in 3 different ways:

1. by writing personal checks
2. by asking my friends and family for money and
3. by drawing out all my savings.

And I keep asking why. Sitting in my seat isn’t easy. It isn’t romantic.

It is heart-breaking. It is depressing. Some days get so hard that it becomes nearly impossible to see past that day.

And then I keep thinking back to why. And the answer is simple — because I want it.

I want it more than anyone else.

I am willing to go through this because at the end of the day, it means the most to me.

I hate the romanticism of start-ups and founder struggle. Because you know what? It fucking sucks. Ask any single founder if they like it. They don’t. Because you know why? It is the hardest thing they will ever do.

Day in and day out, there are a few things that I focus on:

1. fundraising
2. product management
3. marketing

On the surface, that sounds incredibly simple. But, when you start looking into specifics — it is insanely hard work.

Did you know that you can only raise money from certain types of investors? Neither did I.

Did you know that in order to accept certain types of payments you have to submit a long application that may or not be approved by Visa / MasterCard? Had I known this earlier, I would have chosen a different path.

Did you know that starting from zero users and finding traction takes more time than most people want to spend? If I was aware of this, I would have raised more money the first time around.

And when you’re thinking about all of these things — it starts impacting your ability to do anything else. Your friends, who you once stood by — counseling them about their latest breakup or family emergencies — are gone.

Your family, who you saw or spoke to on a frequent basis thinks you’re chasing the wrong path.

Building something that you believe in a fool’s errand.

And at the end of the day, I’m willing to be foolish to pursue the one thing that means the most to me.

This is a screenshot that very few people have seen, but I’ve kept this more than most photos, more than most memories and more than most people.

Why?

Because that was the last day I was comfortable. To remind me that it was a new beginning. I made a very critical decision that day — I was going to all the way up or flame out into the sunset.

Most people I know of all ages are not willing to lose. They simply are stuck in this paradigm that if you accept a shitty situation, you’ll be fine.

It’s never fine. It’s never OK. That’s called giving up.

And those that give up are the ones losing not just one thing — they’re losing themselves. They’re falling away and apart. They’re dying.

“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.”

— Benjamin Franklin

When I walk away from things — it’s about making decisions.

It’s about those things that I know I want, but I also know I need to wait for them.

It’s about those memories that I need to create, but I also know that I need to earn them.

It’s about those victories that I celebrate, but I also know that they come after falling flat on your face.

And with that comes a vast variety of ups and mostly downs.

But, you know what?

I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Not for an extra penny. Maybe the reason we lose first is so that we can do things that most people can only dream of doing.

This journey, that most people call life, is not about success. This journey is about hell of a lot more. It’s about winning when you’re down. It’s about escaping when you’re trapped. It’s about those moments that put the biggest smile on your face.

Do it because you love it. Do it because you can survive it. Do it for you — and just you. Don’t live for someone else. Not today.

So, to every entrepreneur who has gone through this and continues to go through this, I leave you with An Old Irish Blessing:

“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

For This

I'm sitting on an Airbus A380, operated by Emirates, the world's largest operator of these jumbo jets. I'm sitting in a first-class suite which features showers on board and a bar. I'm sipping a glass of Dom Perignon and later on, I'll be drinking Hennessey Paradis, the most expensive liquor in the sky.

I lean back, get ready for the jet to thrust into the air and take me home. I catch myself in the mirror in my suite and I have a huge smile on my face.

This is it. This is my life.

At some point in my past, I made 2 decisions. The first one forced me to walk away from everything. The second decision was to give up a very well paying job to build my companies.

These decisions meant not to accept small victories or instant gratification. But to fight for the things worth chasing. To commit all the way or to not bother at all. I made a decision to live life my way. And that's what I've done on this trip.

I produced my first video in a long time:

I captured stunning sunrises: 

And capped my days with jaw dropping sunsets:

I flew on the world's first commercial airline to offer an apartment:

And as this trip comes to an end, I'm excited to get back to the grind. There are a few large hurdles I need to cross amongst our group of companies. But, if the past is any indication - there's a way.

Nothing worth having is easy. Nothing easy is worth keeping. Every good thing in life takes 3 things: time, patience and perseverance.

And those that want it badly enough are the ones that get it.

Live well. Be well. Chase your dreams. And be strong enough to make them reality.