All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line

Chapter 39Get Comfortable with Being Wrong

“Owen!”

Flash. Snap.

“Mr. Chase! Over here!”

More flashes and snaps from the other direction.

“Mr. Chase, do you have a lawyer?”

Suddenly, Owen felt a firm hand grab his left elbow and instinctively pulled it away. But the hand stayed put and a large man in a nice suit, earpiece, and greased hair said firmly, “This way, Mr. Chase.”

Apparently, now the hotel had given him security. Unbelievable. He wasn’t even to the final table yet. Owen kept waiting for his heart to start beating—to feel nervous. After all, he should feel nervous! But he didn’t. Honestly, he wanted to go make some more phone calls about ReBicycle. He was tired of poker. There had been so damn much of it! Okay, not that tired of poker, but it was tough to try and refocus on poker after this morning and with things still up in the air with Lisa.

Unlike a lot of people, both at the tables and in the audience today, he understood that today wasn’t the be-all and end-all of his life. It was a chance for 27 people who had already earned a ridiculous amount of money to earn a more ridiculous amount. That’s what it was. Over 7,000 people down to 27. It was a rat race that took equal parts strategic play, gutsy moves, good luck, and good timing.

Apparently, now it was all about branding and self-promotion. Like, a lot of it. When Owen walked out of his hotel room in the morning, he stumbled over no less than five gift bags placed in front of his door. They were all different, ...