Tee'd Off

Tee'd Off 07.06.25

1st Hole | 3rd Shot (from the woods)

After a short search, I found my ball nestled in a bed of leaves – deep in the woods. I had a decision to make: try to thread an impossible shot toward the green or play it safe and get back on the fairway. I was tempted to be bold. But then I remembered something Annika Sörenstam once said during a tournament: "Don’t make a bad shot worse."

That stuck with me – not just in golf, but in life.

Especially as a startup founder, I’ve had moments where I’ve been tempted to just wing it. And sure, “sometimes winging it is where the magic lives” – but other times, it’s where things spiral out of control. Taking a breath, reassessing the situation, and making the next smart move – not the flashiest one – often gets you back on track.

Early in my career, I would’ve skipped that part. I would’ve just gone for it. And yeah, “bad decisions do make good stories,” but good decisions build better outcomes.

Sometimes it’s not about heroics. It’s about playing the long game.