On the awkward beginnings
The room is filled with new faces. Meandering – your gaze stops on one in particular. They are standing not too far from you and you can sense an existential burgeoning urge to approach them and begin a conversation.
Let’s look at the facts. There is no real reason for you to be approaching them. Anything you may say, will be awkward to a degree. Perhaps it may almost feel natural. It may be that you have some interest in their work. Or you overheard something about their spare time activities and you actually feel intrigued to learn more. Worst case: the conversation is a ping pong game of generic statements that can hopefully slide without causing too many internal sighs. All in all, if you can find any kindling at all and get it going, you will have done most of the hard work.
So here is to those that take the first awkward steps. Here is to the first awkward investor pitch and the first product release. And to those that have thrown themselves into the unknown simply because they saw the long term goal that they really wanted to reach, and had no idea how to start walking towards it. Heart beating fast and eyes fully open to grasp any useful insight. The first steps are the weirdest and the hardest. If you are in the appropriate set of mind though, they are also the most fun.