Wanted to share this in the context of mostly the downswings in our Startup Journey so far - If you need happy chest thumping Founder Stories - scroll on - the rest of LinkedIn is rife with them. Two Stoic principles have become my lifelines: Amore Fati (love of fate) & Memento Mori (remember you must die). A bit dark you say & bleak & admittedly esoteric, but amid startup chaos, these ideas kept me grounded... kept it real … & kept me resilient. In our early days, we lost our first signed contract to a legal technicality. The ground all but vanished ...but recalling Marcus Aurelius's words helped - "To love only what happens, what was destined - No greater harmony." Didn't erase the pain but helped us learn & not wallow. We tightened belts & pushed on. Obstacle became a lesson—even a new path with our now 20/20 hindsight. Cut to Synaptyx AI Week 2 - our CTO stepped down (health reasons). Our entire vision was at a crossroads - a harsh Memento Mori reminder. Marcus again- "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do & say & think." So we hustled - to make everyday count -leaned on friends for tech support. Embarrassing at first — a GenAI startup CEO & COO calling college buddies for help. But Marcus reminded us: “Don’t be ashamed to need help... If you’ve been wounded & need a comrade to pull you up? So what?” Their support became part of SynaptyX’s DNA. It taught us that acknowledging our need for each other is vital in tech and otherwise. Each challenge forced us to reinvent ourself & pivot to where we could immediately add value. We cultivated a partner framework to get us off the ground instantly & start solving problems for our clients with all of the value we collectively brought to bear. I went from AI CEO to scrappy entrepreneur. Long nights ...steep learning... forging iron ... loving fate & not just accepting it. "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in way becomes the way." Struggles that almost broke us ended up building us into a more empathetic, creative team & shaped our ethos: "Human, Stoic & Nerdy" Not just a motto - but our whole entire Operating System- Human – We put people first, from our team’s well-being to designing AI that truly serves humans Stoic – Resilience, integrity & perspective guide us. We focus on what we can control & do what’s right instead of chasing hype. Nerdy– We❣️ the tech. We geek out on GenAI, stay curious & even find joy debugging at 2 AM Sharing this hoping it resonates with fellow Founders. If you’ve found strength in an unlikely place -philosophy, faith or personal mantra- do share what keeps you going & human & nerdy & resilient. Also sharing a personal win this week🎉- Finding balance to workout again, smell roses & go offline to nerd out on philosophy🥰