It was a June night in 2022 during NFT NYC. A kid wanted to secure investment for the product his team had been building for 10 months. They had agreed that if $500k was not secured by the end of the trip, they would shut down the company.

BD at Cyber | Director at Stanford Blockchain Accelerator | GSB Alum

For four days, the kid tried to pitch to every investor he met, but people didn’t buy his story. They doubted the sustainability of the business model and the team’s experience. The kid must have talked to more than 100 investors, but none of them wanted to proceed.

That’s when he felt the fire inside his heart—a fire that had been there his whole life, driving him to act, to do whatever it takes to get things done.

He texted every person he knew in NYC, asking if there was an investors' meetup where he could have one last shot. A friend told him about a private yacht party in the harbor that night, but he didn’t have a ticket. Without hesitation, he put on his suit and went to the harbor.

Upon arrival, he saw many people like him, uninvited, but attempting to board the yacht. However, there were three strong bodyguards, each about 2 meters tall, standing in front of the yacht, checking everyone’s ticket and intimidating anyone who wanted to break through.

The kid looked around. There had to be another way to get on the yacht. Soon, he spotted a ladder at the back of the yacht; most importantly, it was unguarded. Now, all he needed to do was find a way to circle back and climb aboard.

He started running through the harbor in his leather shoes and tuxedo. He broke through doors and windows marked "Authorized Staff Only." 15 minutes later, he evaded the security and reached the back of the yacht.

He looked carefully. The three bodyguards had their backs to him; they were still stopping people without tickets, but the kid was at the back. He saw the ladder of the yacht only 20 meters from him, and he knew it was time.

He started to run with all the strength he had. In 10 seconds, he was on the ladder climbing, and in another 10 seconds, he landed on the deck.

When he jumped in, he startled an investor who was enjoying his cocktail and the view. "You are a beast, kid," the investor said. "Did you just sneak onto this yacht without a ticket?" "Yes," the kid replied, "because I have some business to do here."

The investor laughed, and they started chatting about life, business, and future of web3. They talked that entire night, and a few days later, the kid received a $500k check from the investor, exactly what was needed to save his company.

The kid was me two years ago, and that fire is still burning in my chest, guiding me to think, to act, and to get shits done.

Frustrated on the last night in NYC, the kid went back to the hotel and started packing; the flight was at midnight. "Is this the end?" he asked himself. “10 months of hustling for nothing?"