First Time Father: Father First

TLDR: I'm a dad. Here’s a cute picture to prove it!

Two weeks ago, I was a founder preparing to become a father.

Now, I'm a father who happens to be a founder. And holy wow, what a difference those two weeks make.

Eloise Lawrence Ellwood arrived a week early, and like everything in startup life, she wasn't interested in waiting for the planned timeline.

Now, for context, I announced two weeks ago that I was building a new company and back in the arena with a $1mm preseed round closed to make grocery hot again.

Last week, in the middle of an exciting fundraising moment with investors circling in another $250k that we opportunistically decided to open up on top of our oversubscribed round.

I'd had a great call with a potential investor that I am excited about working with. Other funds are trying to take this spot in the round, but I have a hunch about this fund in particular.

And I'll be honest: I was acting like a complete psycho about not letting this moment slip away, returning investor diligence questions in the Uber on our way to the hospital.

But when I reached out to say my wife was in labor and we'd need to postpone what might be the “we’re in” meeting, their response was simple: "Absolutely no problem. We'll be here when you get back."

Now, five days into fatherhood, I am almost embarrassed about how maniacally focused on the timing of that one meeting. If we lose these investors because of the timing of her birth - my fear at the time - all good. They were never going to be our investors anyway.

And this shift is not just with investors. My team—bless them—basically told me to disappear. "We've got this," they said. "Be with your family." A newly formed team telling a founder to check out completely? That's either madness or the most profound form of trust I've ever professionally experienced.

For years, as an executive coach, I would see this moment play out with my clients at companies of all sizes. I frequently would remind them of Patrick Bet-David’s quote:

“The more your business depends on you, the less valuable it is.”

But now it is so much more real because it is happening for me.

I'm terrified.

I'm grateful.

I'm learning that the most important leadership isn't about being constantly present—it's about creating something that can thrive without you continually pushing it forward.

Fatherhood doesn't make me less of a founder. It makes me a different kind of founder. Every decision now passes through a new filter: Is this the world I want Eloise to grow up in? Will this meeting bring that future closer?

Two weeks from now, I'll be fully back in action.

But I won't be the same person who left.

And that's the point.

Welcome to the world, Eloise. Your dad is going to try his best to make it a better place.

Grocery + family + purpose: even hotter right now. 🛒🍼🔥