My Failed Startup Ruined My Credit Score

I thought closing my startup was rock bottom, but getting denied a new credit card? That’s a real kick in the teeth. No VC ever warns you about this stuff.

Welcome to Walter’s Diary, where you’ll find daily musings on life’s ups and downs, heartfelt reflections, and lessons learned. Each entry is a journey through my day, capturing the honest thoughts, small victories, and nuggets of wisdom that come from living, loving, and learning. Subscribe if you like my stories.

July 22, 2024

The Daily Huddle:

Who really likes Mondays? If someone says yes, I call them a liar. Mondays are like trying to wrestle a greased pig in the rain – messy, frustrating, and full of surprises. Work was one of those mad days, but let’s not dwell on that. Sometimes you hit rock bottom, and sometimes rock bottom feels like it’s a trampoline set up to launch you into more chaos.

Speaking of rock bottom, I ran a startup for four years and had to shut it down. Didn’t earn a lot during that time, and we needed an administrator to close it down – long story for another day. Anyway, I applied for a credit card today. With all the travel expenses piling up, I thought it’d be nice to get points and defer payments until I got reimbursed. Well, turns out my credit score is as bad as a three-legged donkey in a horse race. The issuer declined my application, and that really stings. I’m like a Lannister – always pay my debts, and I’m earning well at the moment. Shitty start to the week.

What can I do? Be a goldfish. Hit the gym, go for dinner, and just move on.

45 min later… I’m proud to report I hit the gym. Realized I’m an idiot – the administration is still underway, and my name is flagged. I’ll wait until that’s done and reapply. What could possibly go wrong? Now, off to some yummy Indian food.

Sifting Through the Scraps:

Remember the hot blonde on the plane I mentioned in yesterday’s entry? She reminded me of a long-gone girlfriend. If there’s such a thing as soulmates, she was close to it. She was the only one of my partners who broke up with me for another guy. That really hurt. I was broken for a long time… or have I truly recovered? Why do I still think about her? We had a lot of fun together, and we were best friends before we started dating. It was great but also devastating because the group we hung out with was her clique. Once it was over, I basically never saw them again.

It’s not that I want her back. I met her a couple of years ago, and she had changed a lot – started smoking, lost almost all ambition. There was some tragic incident involving her professor at uni, but I couldn’t find out what it was. The person I loved is gone. I just have the memories. Hurts double, though.

Did you see the news with Ben Affleck and J Lo? They got together again and now it’s over for forever (maybe). The danger is thinking the person is still the one you fell in love with, but people change. It takes time, but they do. Maybe the person you loved is gone. Like in my case. I still miss her, though. I’m writing this because I’ve been thinking about her a lot recently. That isn’t healthy. I need to heal and forgive her so I can move on. Easier said than done. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Lessons from the Trenches:

I mentioned I left my Pyramid of Success book on the plane? So today, it’s Atomic Habits.

You know that phenomenon when you’ve driven for a couple of years and automated most of the tasks? You drive from A to B and can’t remember the drive but remember the songs on the radio and how good you felt singing along. That’s known as being so automated you’re not aware of your actions anymore. It works out until something different happens – then boom, you’ve made a mistake, like an accident with the car or walking into a pothole.

That can be dangerous. To counter this, there’s a system called “Pointing-and-Calling.” You’ll feel like a total weirdo, but it’s basically calling out things you normally do automatically. For example, when you leave the house, you shout out loud, “I have my phone, I have my wallet, I have my keys, I have the diapers and wipes” (and the baby – unlikely to forget in this scenario). This method has shown crazy results, with error rates reduced by 85% and accidents by 30%. This method is used in the rail system in Japan and New York City.

Give it a try! This trick helps avoid automating actions so far that you don’t notice them anymore. Many of our failures in performance are due to this phenomenon. So next time you deliver a slide deck, say out loud, “I check and update all the numbers, I check the date, I have a ‘agenda and next step’ slide,” etc.

So long, be a goldfish, and just hustle.

I’m a Lannister, I’m forgiving her, and I’m calling things out loud to make myself aware.

Walter

**************************

Current Books in Parallel Reading:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

• Pyramid of Success by Coach Wooden

Habits I’m Working On:

• Fitness & Health: More sports, healthy eating, no junk food, lots of veggies, and less sugar. Aim: Sports 4 times a week (weights and running).
Mindset: I’m a runner and I’m healthy.
Status: 30 running, 3.55km - check

• Dental Health: Flossing daily to avoid crowns and root canals.
Mindset: I have healthy teeth and I don’t hear the drill sound anymore
Status: yes I’m on it, shouting it out loud

• Writing: Practice, practice, practice—daily diary entries, no excuses.
Mindset: another day check

• Weight: 112 kg (I need a scale)
Mindset: I’m a healthy and control my weight to feel better

Consecutive Days Posting on Walter’s Diary:

Thirteen (13)