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Crossing the Rubicon

October 19, 2009, 9:49 am

In 49 BC, Julius Caesar—not yet emperor—was in command of an army in Gaul, preparing to march on Rome and seize power.  At the time, part of the border between Gaul and Italy proper was a river known as the Rubicon.  To protect the Republic, Roman law prohibited any army from entering Italy; by crossing the Rubicon, Caesar was making war inevitable.  It is said that as he crossed, he declared: Alea iacta est! “The die is cast!”  To this day, “crossing the Rubicon” refers to committing oneself irrevocably to a bold and risky course of action.

I am now crossing my own personal Rubicon.  In the next few weeks I am quitting my job at Pelago and moving to the Bay Area.  In the next few months I will be doing my own startup.

In making this leap, I am leaving behind a secure, comfortable life.  I’m changing a lot of things at once.  I’m taking on a bigger challenge than I’ve ever known, and more personal risk.  At times I’ve asked myself, “What am I doing?”  But I know this is exactly what I want to do.  Starting my own company has been my primary goal in life since high school.  All of my career has been a training ground or springboard towards this end.

If I succeed, it will be the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  If I fail—at least I will own the failure.  In any case, it will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Alea iacta est!

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  • http://www.prepme.com Avichal Garg

    Congratulations! I’m looking forward to having you down in the Bay

  • http://www.historyatourhouse.com Scott Powell

    Best of luck! I hope that for you, the “Crossing of the Columbia” becomes a pivotal moment…though in the opposite way that it did for Caesar! :-)

  • Cliff Young

    Break a leg, Jason! I look forward to hearing about your trials with the Senate. Watch out for those Antony and Cassius characters, though.

  • catherine

    CONGRATS!!

  • http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.com/ Burgess Laughlin

    Jason, congratulations!

    What is most inspiring to me is your _combination_ of long-term planning, steady progress according to the plan, and then a daring leap.

  • http://www.amymossoff.com Amy Mossoff

    Congratulations on a bold and exciting decision! I look forward to following your adventure on this blog.

  • Jon Prescott

    Good luck, Jason. Want to hear more.

  • Quincy Hunt

    Congrats and good luck!

  • Vicki Genther

    That’s awesome! I hope you’ll keep us updated on your progress.

  • http://www.k9ventures.com Manu Kumar

    Congratulations! Look forward to having you be a part of the Bay Area startup community. Just remember that the only thing guaranteed in a startup is that it will be a roller coaster. Welcome to the ride.

  • Wendy T

    All the best Jason!
    Words cannot describe how very excited I am for you. For me, the greatest pleasure in life has been to realize my potential and quest for meaning, in my career. In your start-up adventure, I hope you will be able to experience the joys of achievement after many years of purposeful planning. You have these in good measure already but I will nevertheless wish you unwavering courage, perseverance, good judgment, unquestionable ability and the company of colleagues endowed with the same. Oh, and lots of capital $$$.
    Well done! To have reached the banks of the Rubicon is an achievement in and of itself!

    Cheers,
    Here’s to you!

    Wendy

  • http://www.eickhoff.com Kathryn Eickhoff

    My own company was my dream too. It didn’t work with minority ownership, at least not with Alan. However, in 1987 I opened Eickhoff Economics Inc. I ran it full-time until 1999 when I became ill and could no longer cope with all that was involved.

    Things I learned: 1. For at least the first year it is a 24/7 job. (If interested in what my year was like, see Business Economics, journal of the National Association of Business Economists, around late 1988 maybe ’89.)

    2. Hire employees sparingly and only the best for the job. I had a number of employees who had worked with me at Townsend-Greenspan. It was a mistake to keep them beyond the first couple of years. It was too easy for me to trust and rely on them. Easy to forget I had to do the managing of all employees as well as everything else.

    3. If you reach your goals early, raise them. Do not take time off from marketing or selling ever. You are your best salesman.

    4. Read Edward Demings books. There are NO bad employees. They all want to do a good job. Employee failure means MANAGEMENT failed.

    Best of everything necessary to the job. I know you can do it.

    Objectively yours,

    Kathryn

  • http://forums.4aynrandfans.com Betsy Speicher

    As they said in the storybooks of my childhood, “The young man went out to seek his fortune.” Good for you!

    If there’s anything you need — venture capital, business advice, motherly advice, a cheering section, etc. — just let me know.

    All the best,

    Betsy

  • Pingback: Two weeks’ notice? Or twelve months?

  • Raviv

    Best of Luck – not that you’ll need it. Have fun in SF and someday I’ll swing down so we can go dancing.

    Be Well,

    Raviv

  • http://www.historyatourhouse.com/ Scott Powell

    Best of luck! I hope that for you, the “Crossing of the Columbia” becomes a pivotal moment…though in the opposite way that it did for Caesar! :-)

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