I said I'd never start a company again. I was wrong.

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My son was born while I was trying to keep a startup alive. We had few clients. My wife needed more of me than usual, and I needed to build whatever kept those few clients from leaving. We hadn't planned the baby. When a company from outside Brazil bought the startup, I promised myself I'd never start a company again.

I didn't tell anyone. I went back to a job as a project manager, driving 84 kilometers a day to send emails and set deadlines. Then remote work as a developer. Then I moved my family to Caçapava, in the Paraíba Valley, to live off the samba, the adult site I ran.

Founder-Burnout on Thiago Avelino

I said I'd never start a company again. I was wrong.