Mail

Tweet

Wed to a Dream

As the wife of a young entrepreneur, I can certainly relate to the experiences of Meg Cadoux Hirshberg ["Hitched to Someone Else's Dream," September], the wife of Stonyfield Farm's founder Gary Hirshberg. Meg's comment that she felt like she was riding shotgun on a curvy road especially resonated with me, because it reminds me of our business: We build and service racecars. Fortunately for us, little by little, the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming visible. But it's still a constant battle. I wonder if this is what attracted us to our entrepreneur spouses. I've always said that my husband dreams bigger than I would ever allow myself to. That's what I love about him. As much as I fret and worry about our finances, I am equally proud of him. I feel privileged to be along for the ride.

Kerri Sneed
CFO
Sneed's Speed Shop
Pfafftown, North Carolina

Meg Hirshberg's article about the difficulties of being an entrepreneur's wife has inspired me and helped me renew my commitment to supporting my husband in his entrepreneurial endeavor. As Meg once did, I still struggle to figure out what I want to do when I grow up (though I'm already 34 and have a law degree). But I'm so happy to see how deeply passionate my husband is about his business. After four and a half years of marriage to an entrepreneur, it's comforting to know I am not alone in supporting someone else's dream, which I guess has become mine, too.

Peilin Pratt
Los Angeles

I had such a deeply emotional reaction to Meg Hirshberg's account of her journey. The "bad old days," as Meg put it, as the wife of an entrepreneur have echoed in my life. The difficulties in launching my husband's venture have certainly left some wounds over the last 20 years, and they still affect my life.

Entrepreneurs who risk everything for a business are gamblers. They judge their personal success based on their ability to make their businesses work, regardless of the monetary, interpersonal, or emotional stress it can cause for all who support them.

Julie Janokowicz
Hillsborough, New Jersey

I shed more than one tear while reading Meg Hirshberg's article. My wife left me over my start-up business in 2006. The business eventually succeeded, and I even went back after I had "made it" -- and she said she couldn't do it again. Too much stress and anxiety. After eight years of damn-near abject poverty and suffering, my business took off, and she didn't want to enjoy the fruits of our work.

I will take responsibility. She couldn't take it anymore (two kids in diapers and always wondering where next month's mortgage was coming from). She gave me an ultimatum. She said, "Me or the business." I chose the business, and she never forgave me.

Tony Migyanka
Managing partner
Mobile Money Minute
Irving, Texas

Managing in the Middle

I'm glad to hear that Joel Spolsky has acknowledged the need for middle managers in the software development process [How Hard Could It Be? September]. In my view, this is a sign of his company's maturation into a disciplined business. Today, we still have outdated models for managing software developers, some of which seem to be carryovers from the industrial age.

Vasu Srinivasan
Boston

I'm not sure Joel Spolsky's company necessarily needed middle managers per se. Spolsky could have called them architects or team leaders. The important thing is that every company needs someone approachable and responsible to make sure it's all running smoothly. Also, for really painfully tedious jobs that are low paying, micromanagement actually seems to be a necessity. Grunts, of course, won't work if they are not motivated.

Paul W. Homer
Principal
Bitcount
Toronto

A Passing Fad?

Your piece on Rick Alden and Skullcandy [September] was the best "How I Did It" I can remember reading. As short as this article was, you can really get a sense of the wisdom and knowledge he has acquired.

 1 | 2  NEXT