Give away your Legos is Molly Graham’s insightful article that resonates with many in the startup community. In this post, I want to share my own career journey and reflect on why I have found it challenging to let go of my Legos, even though my mindset encouraged me to do so.

At the time of writing this post, I work at Anaconda as a Senior EM for the last 4 years, have had a Director level scope and served in the capacity of Interim Director for over a year. Anaconda itself is a scaleup, with recent Series C $150M funding and a unicorn status.

The Dynamics of Restructuring in Scaleups

As I’ve navigated through various reorganizations, I have had to first reclaim my lost Legos during each reorg before I could consider passing them on.

I’ve observed that those who have experienced the loss of Legos often turn out to be the most adept people managers. Even in times of diminished resources, trust becomes the foundation upon which leaders can innovate, devise creative solutions, and move forward to create the next groundbreaking initiative! This is a mantra I cling to as I navigate these tumultuous waters. We all share the collective pain of losing the resources we once relied upon to validate our success! With the frequent turnover at the executive level, rebuilding trust becomes a necessary, albeit challenging, task that I and many others must contend with.

The metaphor I relate to, similar to the Lego scenario, is the following.

I constructed impressive towers, validated my capabilities, handed over the keys, and then, unexpectedly, found myself cast out of the castle.

Embracing Change: The Journey of Adaptation and Resilience

With new faces surrounding me, I became weary of repeatedly requesting entry. Instead, I’ve learned to adapt to the reality that gaining access doesn’t require a grand entrance; instead, I can navigate through a narrow door by demonstrating the quickest and most efficient ways to overcome obstacles. Although this shift has been incredibly challenging, I realize now that the lessons I’ve learned during this journey are invaluable. Embracing this new direction has fostered resilience and an innovative mindset within me, reminding me that the experiences we gather along the way can sometimes hold more value than the ultimate destination.