Frantic

Overview

Frantic Software, LLC was a company I ran that specialized in creating I.T. infrastructure management solutions for cross-platform cloud deployments. It was also a startup that I ran alone, 24/7, no breaks, and NO help.

It started as a personal project to learn more about AWS. I just thought it was interesting. Eventually I needed a reason to go bigger with AWS, so I figured a company would be fun; hey, I could be a founder, right?? That passion project became the death of me, and turning it into a company was absolutely one of the worst decisions I'd ever made.

The Experience

I worked myself into the ground. I was so drilled into the idea that "founders don't rest" that I quite literally spent every waking moment doing SOMETHING for the company. If I were at school, I was planning, doing BizAdm, or researching how to do the things I want to. When I was at home, I was either coding or going to work (because for some reason I thought getting a normal job would be a good idea on top of this).

I figured being absolutely miserable was just part of the grind. I wasn't just burning out, I was crashing and exploding into flames. I stopped being social, stopped going out, stopped being okay.

On the final day, my family intervened and told me I had to shut the company down. I'm very grateful they did, because if I hadn't have heard it from someone else, I would've worked myself to death, literally. It was so nice to just be... over. Not give a shit anymore.

Finding Purpose Again

I lost purpose for a little while, because what the hell am I if not a founder when I'd spent every hour of the past year ingraining it into my life? However, I rediscovered that purpose through Hack Club, and remembering what brought me to becoming a founder in the first place.

The product was never the problem, I still think it was a great idea. But building a company around it, alone, at that age, not knowing what the hell I was doing, or what I was getting myself into... it broke me. But it also taught me a lot. How to move fast, think critically under immense pressure, and how NOT to run a startup.

What I Learned

• •Moving Fast: How to rapidly iterate and make decisions under pressure
• •Critical Thinking: Problem-solving skills developed under immense stress
• •Startup Pitfalls: What NOT to do when building a company
• •Work-Life Balance: The importance of sustainable work practices
• •Self-Awareness: Recognizing when to ask for help and when to step back

Technical Focus

Reflection

I don't necessarily see Frantic as a failure, just a hard-earned life lesson. I did end up walking away with better skills, more maturity, and a wholly different outlook on life. I didn't sacrifice a whole year of my life for nothing!

RIP Frantic. You were fun, and hell.