What It's Like to IPO
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A first-person narrative account of what it feels like to take a startup public, told through a series of vignettes spanning 12 years — from a chaotic first day with a recycled laptop and confusing stock option paperwork, through years of struggle and near-failure, to the surreal experience of ringing the opening bell at a stock exchange. The piece captures the emotional arc of an early employee: the anonymity, the grind, the adrenaline of IPO day, and the disorienting moment of calculating life-changing wealth from a 50,000x return on early stock options.
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What It’s Like to IPO12 Years Before6 Years Before12 Hours Before9 Hours Before1 Hour Before10 Minutes Before5 Minutes Before10 Seconds Before10 Minutes After1 Hour After2 Hours After6 Hours After1.5K Impressions