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This week in trying to drum up work, I've been focused on expanding my client base. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride - some promising leads, but a lot of dead ends as well.
Early in the week, I reached out to a few companies I thought could really benefit from my technical expertise. Had a great initial call with the CEO of a fintech startup, and they seemed really interested in working with me. We discussed their pain points in depth and I outlined how our team could help streamline their engineering processes and infrastructure. But after following up multiple times, I haven't heard back. It's frustrating when you feel like you've made a real connection, only to have the trail go cold.
I had a similar experience with a retail company exploring a major digital transformation. The VP of IT was enthusiastic about my capabilities and we had a productive brainstorming session. They were looking to increase the use of Terraform but when it came time to get a proposal together, all communication suddenly stopped. I'm not sure if budget constraints, a change in leadership, or just general inertia got in the way, but it's disheartening to put in that initial effort only to have the opportunity slip away.
In addition to my fractional CTO work, I've also been actively searching for a full-time CTO position. I've applied to a number of promising openings, and have had some encouraging initial conversations. However, I'm finding that the interview process can be quite drawn out, with multiple rounds of discussions and assessments.
I recently made it through to the final stages for a solutions architect role at a promising AI startup, only to be told that they've decided to postpone the hire indefinitely due to funding uncertainty. It was disappointing, but a good reminder that these kinds of decisions can be out of my control.
Through these setbacks, I've learned that persistence are key. Just because an opportunity didn't pan out doesn't mean it's dead forever. I'm making a note to follow up with those leads again in a few months - priorities and decision-makers can shift quickly in the startup world.
I've also realized the importance of networking and referrals. Many of my most fruitful client relationships have come through warm introductions from existing contacts. So I'm redoubling my efforts to expand my professional network. So we'll see how that goes next week.
In conclusion, it's been a challenging week, but I know these kinds of setbacks are all part of the job. Onward and upward.
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updated: 14 June 2024.