GovSight Diaries: 4 steps to making a successful, high-risk life investment
GovSight is a non-profit technology and news company which was formed in 2019. In our weekly GovSight Diaries series, we share the stories of our challenges and successes in hopes that others can learn from our accomplishments and struggles.
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If you read anything I wrote about myself, you’ll know how I start most stories: “I qualified for my first Olympic trials when I was 14 years old.”
A simple hook — clear and concise, compelling you to get through the foreshadowed “second” trials.
A safe investment with high returns. The intrigue keeps people reading and it’s applicable to most anything about my journey that follows suit.
But I can’t say those trials connect well to the podcasted call I took with two guys I never met before in the basement of a computer science building at Stanford last fall, waiting for someone I met at an internship over a year ago to hop on and break the ice.
Except that both moments would change my life forever.
Step 1 to making a successful high-risk life investment: Parallel it to a risk you’ve taken before
After qualifying for those trials, I moved to California to train with one of the top synchronized swimming teams in the United States — a high-risk investment for a 14-year-old her family.
Fast forward to this basement: a fledgling podcast for a civic information start-up. I reported on politics briefly; I’d never been on a podcasted show despite my stint in radio — but how different could it be? Seemed like a low-risk time investment with potential gains in clips and connections.
Step 2: Consider why you’re doing it
The move to California paid off. I competed for Team U.S.A., was recruited by Stanford, and built long-lasting relationships with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met.
But I moved mostly to grow as a person — something that my family knew I’d do regardless of anything that happened. And I reap those benefits every day.
So back in this basement, my laptop was about to die and it was the Friday gathering at the student newspaper that I was an editor for. But I stuck on the line with these three guys because they seemed like-minded, committed to their project, and overall enthusiastic. As a journalist, their mission resonated with me: to make citizenship simplified. A simple hook — put clear, concise, and compelling political information in the palms of people’s hands.
We wrapped, I was intrigued. Couple days went by, the podcast got published.
Then I got a text.
Step 3: Surround yourself with kind people
“Want to come on again?” (I’m paraphrasing.)
Well, I had to think. Three hours of time in college was a pretty big investment while gearing up for finals. I was applying to jobs every other day. More importantly, this could’ve turned into a long-term deal, and I’m horrible at saying no once I’m all in. Did I really have time to spread myself thinner?
Not to mention for a start-up: Stanford start-up culture is very much alive and well, but I was never a part of it. Perhaps I had enough adventure in my life; perhaps it’s because I’d grown risk averse. Perhaps I was never a risky person to begin with.
But at that moment I was 14 again, in a pool, smiling because I was quiet but my duet partner and I were laughing about something nonsensical. And my teammates and I were preparing for Nationals; despite the pressure, we were enjoying every moment. And there always seemed to be enough time for fun and work — and work that’s fun.
And maybe that’s why I texted back, “yes.”
Step 4: Break it up into swallowable bits, then bite
At that moment when I committed to GovSight, I rewrote my story. At that moment when I qualified for my first Olympic trials, I told myself I’d work endlessly for that second qualification. But I never would’ve gotten to either place without taking a gamble.
Now clearly GovSight is more than a podcast — and that barely scratches the surface of what I do now — but I couldn’t think of a better way to have gotten my feet wet. The mission aligns with something I believe in to my core: a mission that continually drives me to foster, edit, and publish political news so that everyone can understand how governmental decisions impact them directly, and how to better their lives as a result of knowing.
Start-ups, inherently high-risk investments, can flop or succeed. The first part of success comes from putting in elbow grease, believing that what you’re doing is good, forming a cohesive team, and loving every minute of the journey.
The second part is recognizing that no matter what happens, you never would’ve known or grown if you didn’t try.
And it may even help you start your journey with a new clause. Because if you read anything I wrote about myself, you’ll know how I start most stories. Except this one.
Come back next week with more advice from GovSight’s team.
Questions? Ask us at contact@govsight.com.
Follow GovSight on Twitter @GovSight1, Instagram @govsight and Facebook @GovSight. Listen to The Insight Podcast by GovSight on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or PodBean every Monday. Go to govsight.com to see how GovSight is making “Citizenship. Simplified.”
