The startup exited. My founder habits didn't

9 July 2026

I'm writing this because I don't see many founders talk about the letting-go part after leaving a startup they built for more than a decade.

A lot is written about selling a company. Less about what happens after the deal closes, after you leave the company you founded, and when your old operating system is still running.

Maybe because the deal side has a playbook.

The letting-go part does not.

The rational side of selling a startup is easier. There is a process for M&A. You discuss with the board, work with the team, talk to bankers, lawyers, potential buyers, and the market.

The market tells you what the business is worth, what broad terms are acceptable, and whether the deal makes sense.

The board and operators ask the right questions.

• Is this good for the company and its mission?
• Is this good for the team and shareholders?
• Can the company grow faster with a bigger platform behind it?

The process becomes professional very quickly.

If the answer is yes, the logic is clear.

That part I understood.

After I sold Tech in Asia, I felt okay. Excited even. I poured a lot of energy into the work and gave my absolute best.

When two systems come together, tough questions must be asked. Who owns what? How are decisions made? What are the new protocols? Which goals need to change?

That is normal. It is just work from two well-meaning teams trying to figure out the new shape of things.

So rationally, it made sense.

Emotionally, I thought I was fine too.

When people asked me how I felt after selling the company, I would say something like: "Of course there are emotions, but I have already digested them. Otherwise, why would I sign?"

The response sounded logical. Maybe it even made me sound like a decisive CEO and founder.

I believed it too.

Now that I have been out of Tech in Asia for 3 months, I think the answer was too neat.

I wasn't hiding my emotions. They just didn't have enough time to say hello.

That is the part I underestimated.

After building Tech in Asia for 16 years, it was not just a company to me.

It was a bundle of habits. Muscle memory. A way of thinking. A way of life. A sense of ownership that does not disappear just because I signed on the dotted line. Especially as a sole founder.

I can understand that I no longer control the company. I can respect the new structure. I know, in my head, that the company has moved into its next chapter.

But habits still kick in hard. That part is annoyingly stubborn. It surprised me.

Founders get rewarded for certain behaviours.

• Move fast.
• Get shit done.
• Full sense of ownership.

Those traits help you build. They become ingrained in you, almost like DNA.

After becoming aware of this, I felt uncomfortable. But it is also interesting. Maybe a needed dose of awareness medicine.

With this awareness, I get to deconstruct and reconstruct myself.

I'm asking myself: what should I double down on, and what should I unlearn?

I'm still exploring, and I'm gonna take my time to slow down so I can see more clearly.

Slowing down seems to be the common advice from founders who have exited and said goodbye. I'm trying, but it's hard.

The only thing I'm focused on is sloth-building TickerTown. I'm meeting other humans and communities, and learning from smarter people.

I am also trying to be more present, helpful, and grateful. Basically, to be a better version of myself.

Now that I can see the problem more clearly, I am strangely excited to work on it and see where it leads.

"We don't become wise by thinking more. When our mind becomes relaxed and open, we suddenly have a brilliant new idea. Trust the wisdom that exists in silence, and rest your hardworking mind for a while."

— Haenim Sunim