Research Insights

As a CEO of an impact-driven startup with an unconventional business model, I’ve witnessed the complex financial realities of pursuing meaningful work. My realizations push me to explore today’s concepts of contentment, measures of success, and the compensation gap in a capitalist-driven society.

Over the years of building BillionBricks, I’ve observed many startups initially try to address the housing crisis but end up pivoting to high-end housing as the pressures of survival and the need to seek strong business opportunities take precedence. My recent encounter with a startup was my first time witnessing such repositioning in close range.

Presenting a pioneering project is challenging when potential partners expect certainty from the get-go, and all I can do is show up and answer all their questions the best way I can. But the truth is, I don’t always have the answers to certain questions – at least not this early.

Every business is built on the premise of solving a problem. In their quest to build a business, do they really solve a problem, or do they end up creating new and more problems?