Comfort in silence
It feels like we’ve arrived at the quietest point of the crypto bear market. After 18 months of high octane drama it’s now comparatively silent. There’s no good news or bad news, just no news.
This is arguably the most challenging stage of the market cycle to deal with. Silence feels as if nobody cares anymore about what you’re doing.
It’s normal to have doubts in a time like this. Most if not everyone has them.
Some people will decide to pursue other things as a result. Others will persevere. For those that do, each will probably have a different way of navigating the silence. There’s no right or wrong way to do so, but I wanted to share some of the things that I’ve been doing as an investor.
First, revisit the reasons for why you’re here. Everyone has their own reasons and what’s important is that those are genuine. The strength of one’s convictions rests on holding them personally. If you just follow the crowd, you will find it tough.
Second, focus on your relationships. In my case, that’s working with our current founders to ensure that they’re in as good a place as they can be, and spending more time with prospective ones. Investment rounds now take longer, so its a good environment to really get to know people before partnering up with them.
Third, know where to find your energy. I get my energy talking to entrepreneurs, particularly those building applications at the moment. Some areas make me feel disillusioned about the space. I avoid those, also because I don’t think I’ll make a return investing in them.
Lastly, use everyday to learn as much as you can. Silence shouldn’t be confused with stasis. It can be quiet, but a lot can be happening, you just need to know where to look. Those that continue to learn and come up to bat everyday will reap the rewards.
I think those that find a way to deal with silence and find comfort in it, will be the ones to benefit most when it becomes noisy again.