⏩ Failing Forward's Next Step ⏩

Moving to the Not Another CEO substack + why I'm so excited

Today I want to express my genuine thanks to each of you, and announce my next step: Not Another CEO!

🚀 🚀 Not Another CEO will be the new home of Failing Forward. You will receive our kick off post tomorrow. 🚀🚀

Like most people, my career has not been a straight line up and to the right.

I’ve had the privilege of working at some of the fastest-growing tech companies. I ran finance for the Roadster and Model S programs at Tesla, and served as VP of Operations at BetterCloud, from pre-revenue to scaling.

But I have also experienced failure. In 2020, I founded Workstream.io, where I raised $7M, built an incredible team, and developed an awesome product and customer base.

But, like the many companies we do not talk about, the challenges we faced were insurmountable and in May of last year we were forced to shut down. The journey was hard, but I do not regret taking it. Starting and shutting down the company gave me some of the most valuable lessons of my career.

In the aftermath, I started writing the Failing Forward substack with the mission to help others, and began advising other founders who were facing similar struggles.

I took these steps without any real agenda or plans for it to go anywhere: it just felt right. But the road has also led me back to working with my new Co-founder at Not Another CEO, David Politis. David (Founder and former CEO of BetterCloud) found himself in a similar place after a huge exit and stepping aside from a full-time operating role.

Late last year, we started exploring the idea to bring together his podcast with what I've been working on. We found ourselves aligned on a new mission — to bend the curve for current and future Founders/CEOs — and decided to come together once again. I feel humbled to partner with David, who is a good friend and has served as a mentor of mine for many years.

The Not Another CEO Substack will offer the largest library of CEO insights and how-to guides, and publish true stories of entrepreneurship — not just the success stories, but also the failures. It will include lessons and stories from a diverse community of leaders.

If you are interested in adding your voice to Not Another CEO, please reply to this email. We would love to have you contribute an article or join the Podcast.

I am excited to bring my audience at Failing Forward along for the ride and, importantly, to hear your feedback. If you’re a Founder/CEO, aspiring CEO, or someone who supports CEOs, we believe you are a part of our community and I would love to hear from you.

Again, please accept my most sincere thanks for being a Failing Forward subscriber — I look forward to continuing to serve you.

Nick Freund

Co-founder of Not Another CEO