I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the vast differences and surprising connections between being a dad, a founder, and a student. At first glance, they seem like entirely separate roles. But somehow, they each inform and support the others.

Being a dad is anything but easy. It’s not just about making sure this small human you brought into the world is okay. It’s about teaching and learning alongside them. It’s about watching them grow while guiding them, and learning how to grow yourself in the process. Fatherhood takes an incredible amount of patience, and that patience has spilled over into the other areas of my life.

Founding the app I’m building has pushed me in new ways. I’ve had to be patient with things not working right the first time, digging through lines of code to fix bugs, and dealing with delays to my launch. The patience I’ve learned as a dad, helping my daughter navigate this world gently and intentionally, has helped me here. It’s taught me that it’s okay to let things unfold at their own pace. Errors and bugs are just part of the process. They make the outcome more meaningful.

Even being a student again in a fast-paced environment, I’ve had to teach myself to slow down. I’ve had to remember that same patience, knowing that everything will get done in time as long as I stay grounded, find balance, and keep showing up.

Just like in coding, life will throw errors your way. But with enough patience, care, and persistence, there’s always a way through.