All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line

Chapter 36Fear and Inaction Are the Two Greatest Threats to Your Business Idea

“Sorry.”

That was it. A one-word text. This was how Owen and Sam’s friendship ended—with a pathetic “sorry.” It had been 30 minutes since Lisa had dropped the “news” and Owen still hadn’t gone back to the poker tables. He was right outside the doors of the main floor, on a couch. He’d walk around, then almost enter the tournament, but then sit back on the couch. He just couldn’t go in. Not yet. Not until he knew something more.

Three times while waiting in the foyer, people had patted him on the shoulder and told him better luck next time—apparently everybody just assumed that a guy hanging right outside the tournament door looking depressed must have just been eliminated. But the real reason was that he needed to talk to Lisa. He kept getting out his cell phone as if it were a magic crystal ball that could somehow deliver the answers, but instead, it had just been silent. Lisa’s phone was off—or at least off to him.

Obviously, the whole Lisa situation was serious, but the “news” had brought it to another level. Yes, he had definitely missed several blinds, but that didn’t really matter if now there was a child in the picture. His child in the picture. Jesus. What a day. What a week.

And during this wait, Sam had texted him. He hadn’t thought much about Sam in the past couple of hours. Who would have? And now, in Owen’s mind, she was associated with ReBicycle, and that was business and definitely ...