NWV Brief 9: The Founder

Dear Founder, 

After attending a Billy Joel concert this past week, I was inspired by The Entertainer. The lyrics mirrored the journey of entrepreneurship—its triumphs, trials, and relentless rhythm. Below is my tribute: The Founder.

I hope it resonates with your journey.

The Founder

I am the founder
And I’m creating where I stand,
Another dreamer,
With another bold new plan.

Today I am your unicorn,
I may have won your bet,
But I know the game—
You’ll turn on my name,
If my growth doesn’t soar off the charts.

I am the founder,
And I act to fit the mold.
I keep going no matter what,
Though the nights are long and cold.
And when the venture's over,
I stare into the glass,
Tear stains, ice veins,
My ego drained—
The fear’s a ghost I can’t outlast.

I am the founder,
And I’ve had to pay the price.
The odds were never in my favor,
But I’ve bent them, failure after failure.
Still, they want their say—
So I let them pull up a chair,
Double their share,
And send them on their merry way.

I am the founder,
I’ve pitched from coast to coast.
Shaking hands with every mogul,
Convincing those who hold the most.
I can’t recall their faces,
I don’t remember names.
But after a while,
With a million shares,
All the deals begin to look the same.

I am the founder,
With a mission in my sights.
You’ve heard of my latest success—
It lit up the press last night.
They praised its bold ambition,
But said it took too long.
So they cut it down,
To zeros and ones,
And the heart of it was gone.

I am the founder,
The innovator of my age,
Building jobs and solutions,
In a world locked in its cage.
I long to steal a moment,
To breathe and realign,
But the milestones call,
And the climb is tall—
So I rise, and rise, and rise.

With vision, purpose, & appreciation,