What if I succeed?
Why ask this question at all?
A Porsche, a garage, a pool.
Immediate shame at my answer.
The question:
What if I succeed?
Crazy how deeply rooted the connection between success and material wealth is.
Even crazier, I know these things won't make me happier.
The context:
I heard this question on SFTROU. Rob Walling prompted us to ask what would happen if we succeeded in our ongoing projects. In my case, these projects are SaaSpasse and Grip, a growth agency for SaaS.
But why ask this question at all?
→ To push against the arrival fallacy.
When I get there, then I'll be happy.
Unlikely.
Cliché, but it is about the journey. Not the destination.
Ikigai — a Japanese philosophy on finding purpose — also stresses the importance of process. Work can be an end in itself.
If you do not enjoy the labour, you likely won't savour its fruits.
Many entrepreneurs reach ambitious "when" goals, only to find a fleeting high followed by confusing lows. Their "then" ideal fades into a sobering reality. Many don't know what to do. Some set higher goals and get right back to it. Others spiral into bad habits, fuelled by newly amassed wealth. Immobility is scary.
Still, there is relief. I caught myself quickly. After enumerating silly toys, I thought, "Man, you can do better."
A vision of success
When I get where?
First, what's my when goal… my vision of a successful future:
SaaSpasse is now the most popular platform for Québec tech startups to learn & connect. It has a strong brand with an even stronger community, driving hundreds of new professionals to our industry. It makes founders & employees proud to be building tech in Québec.
All 1,000- 1,500 SaaS companies in the province appear in our database, with rich profiles, helpful metadata, job openings, and more. Half of them have been on the podcast. Founders, investors, partners, and governments use the impressive quantity and quality of data we've gathered on the ecosystem. We create high-value, data-driven content and surveys that only we can pull off. We tell entrepreneurial stories with a unique, magnetic twist.
SaaSpasse events are super profitable, but less so than our quarterly founders' retreats and our annual SaaSpasse Conf. Exceptional partners and engaging professionals invest in and participate in these events.
We have our own production studio, which we can lend to promising podcasters or interesting startup podcasts.
My team of five skilled professionals and I have an impressive, high-quality network that lets us play meta-connectors in the industry:
- Investor <> founder
- Employee <> startup
- Service provider <> SaaS company…
Whatever the match, we can help make it happen.
Even better, most mutually beneficial relationships emerge organically, inside our online community, or during our IRL events.
Grip is the go-to agency for tech companies looking to scale through organic marketing. Happy client referrals have created a flywheel that keeps us busy and growing.
Twenty talented professionals work inside the agency, from SEOs to content writers, conversion experts, designers, and project managers. Our office space feels vibrant, fun, and competitive — team members and clients can have fun and focus on challenging work.
Grip is so profitable that we invest in some SaaS companies, trading our premium service fee for equity. Eventually, we try to dogfood one of our internal pains into its own SaaS (hat tip, Spektrum/Snipcart).
I'm picturing five years to get there 👆
Then what?
So… what then?
Paying myself a decent salary isn't an issue anymore.
I can cover all of my life & work expenses with SaaSpasse & Grip revenue. The little surplus I get allows me to start saving again.
What's left of my Snipcart money can safely go back to work earning interests.
Then, we evaluate how conditions and context change post-success. What is the new environment I find myself in? More wealth:
- Increased free time
Success often brings an increase in money and network, especially in business. You can trade these resources for the ultimate one: time.
- You can pay for people to help with all sorts of things, business or personal.
- You can pay for services that save you time.
- Increased comfort
The above translates into more comfort.
But comfort is double-edged. Especially when you tend to slip into laziness. However, if you tend to worry (about finances or health), it helps.
Comfort in my personal life helps me take bigger risks professionally.
- Increased optionality
Optionality:
any situation where having more choices can lead to better outcomes
This one is double-edged, too. Too many options are deafening.
In the face of increased optionality, your decision-making process, values, and priorities need sharpening.
Now, what can I do more of with this new wealth?
I can:
- Build
- Invest
- Give back
- Help family
Let's get more specific:
- Build companies, relationships, and better habits
- Invest in companies & promising careers
- Give back to my personal & professional communities
- Help family enjoy life more with material support, presence, and shared experiences
Above all, this journey will empower me to tell even better stories—stories that will hopefully inspire and educate hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals.
Will I enjoy the success process, i.e. the journey?
I believe so.
The last nine months have been proof for me.
I won't stop building. Apps, teams, content, relationships, businesses. It's fun.
I love the game—the Internet business game. Mine currently focuses on SaaS, but I'm open to widening the scope.
I don't even want to be the best at it; I just love playing it. It's got a sweet ratio of knowns and unknowns, where experience guarantees confidence while leaving room to learn and grow.
Finally... here are reminders for the path ahead:
- Money & expense management — discipline pays dividends. Tiny sacrifices increase runway.
- Time preference — good things take time. Embrace the long term.
- Pacing & balance — burning out massacres progress. Nurture healthy habits and, above all, patience.
What if I fail?
Since leaving Duda, I've had many doubts and taken a few risks.
Most doubts were classic cognitive distortions. For example, here are things that won't happen if I fail:
- Lose my credibility
- Lose my house
- Lose my friends
- Lose my girlfriend
- Live on the street
Small risks I took:
- I didn't get a new job with a steady salary.
- I invested ~70K of my exit money in SaaSpasse.
- I targeted a small niche (SaaS + French + Québec) that many believed couldn't be a real market.
Nine months in, I can confidently call these "small" risks. Our traction and early revenue give me that confidence. Our SaaS ecosystem is even broader and more diverse than I thought—and it's growing.
If we're being realistic, my worst-case scenario looks like this:
Frank failed to bootstrap a community and content platform alongside an agency. He invested all his exit money over four years but couldn't make it profitable. He now has a high-paying job in a cool startup to pay his bills. Along the way, he's helped founders and professionals by creating new relationships, educating them, and inspiring them with good stories. His network is now 10x what it was a few years ago, and so is his SaaS knowledge.
Not too bad.
So... what if I fail?
I will have been wrong.
About an idea or two.
There are worst things to be. I can survive wrong.