Earlier this week was International Startup Day, which got me thinking about what it truly means to be a startup. There’s an undeniable halo effect around the word—people hear “startup” and immediately picture fast-paced innovation, casual work environments, and a culture that feels more like a group of friends building something exciting together. And while there’s truth to that image, the reality is far more complex.
Recently, I was reminded of the harder, less glamorous side of running a startup. We went through a difficult period at eeva, one that forced me to confront some of the toughest aspects of leadership.
At eeva, we’ve always believed in hiring people, not just skills. Skills matter, of course, but we don’t hire someone simply because they can do the job—we hire them because of who they are. We look for individuals who bring curiosity, passion, and a desire to build something meaningful. We want people who contribute not just their expertise, but their opinions, experiences, and ideas.
Because of this, we get to know our team members deeply. We learn their quirks, favorite expressions, hobbies, and life situations. We celebrate their milestones, both big and small—birthdays, career wins, even the seemingly mundane moments that make up daily life.
I hesitate to use the word “family” to describe our culture because we hold ourselves to an extremely high standard—families are unconditional, while teams are built on mutual contribution. But we are close. We care about one another. And that makes certain decisions incredibly difficult.
One of the hardest realities of running a startup is balancing that deep human connection with the responsibility of making decisions that serve the long-term vision of the company. As a leader, I don’t have the luxury of making purely emotional decisions. I have to consider what’s best for eeva—not just today, but in the months and years to come. And sometimes, that means making choices that hurt.
Recently, we had to let a few team members go. These were people we liked, respected, and appreciated. They had contributed to our journey, and in many ways, they had become part of the fabric of our team. But as eeva evolved, their roles no longer aligned with where we needed to go. It wasn’t a question of effort or even talent—it was about what the company needed at this stage. And as painful as those decisions were, they were necessary.
No one talks enough about the weight of these moments. The startup world celebrates hiring sprees, new funding rounds, and rapid growth. But the flip side of that is knowing when to make tough calls, even when they feel personal.
Letting someone go in a startup isn’t the same as it is in a large corporation. In big companies, decisions can feel distant, buffered by layers of management. In a startup, it’s personal. There’s no hiding behind policies or bureaucratic processes—it’s a direct conversation with someone you’ve worked alongside every day. It’s looking someone in the eye and telling them that, despite their contributions, the business needs to move forward without them. And that never gets easier.
I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about vision, strategy, or even execution. It’s about making the hard calls with honesty and respect. It’s about ensuring that when change happens, it’s handled with integrity. It’s about acknowledging that, while the company’s needs must come first, the people who have been part of the journey deserve gratitude and fairness.
The reality of startups is that they are constantly evolving. The team that gets you from idea to launch isn’t always the same team that will take you from launch to scale. And as painful as it is, part of the job is recognizing when those shifts need to happen.
International Startup Day is a great moment to celebrate the excitement and innovation that startups bring. But it’s also a moment to acknowledge the harder truths. Startups aren’t just about ping-pong tables, flexible work schedules, and bold ideas. They are also about resilience, hard decisions, and the responsibility of leadership.
For me, the past few weeks have been a reminder of that. And while these moments are never easy, they reinforce why we do what we do: to build something that lasts, something that matters. And that means making the tough choices, even when they hurt.
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