The Cost of Success

Description

At 22, I thought success meant fast cars, luxury apartments, and fancy holidays. What I didn't know was what it would actually cost me to get there. I'm 30 now. And for the first time, I'm looking back. This is the honest ledger — the friendships I lost, the family time I gave up, and yes, the graduation I skipped because I was trying to buy a school. The price nobody puts on the highlight reel. In this Founder Diaries I share the real sacrifices behind the success — and answer the question honestly: knowing what it costs, would I do it again? What you'll get: • The biggest price I paid — and why it wasn't money, sleep, or time • Why I stopped answering the phone for old friends — and how I feel about it now • The moment I learned that being liked as a leader is a trap • Why I run my team like a professional sports team, not a family • The Dan Pena line that changed how I think about all of it • My honest answer to: would I do it again? Chapters: • 0:00 What I thought success looked like at 22 • 0:50 The real price — lost friendships and relationships • 2:00 The privilege of being liked (and why I gave it up) • 3:30 How I run my team now — high autonomy, high urgency • 4:30 Missing my own graduation and other costs I didn't mention • 5:00 The Dan Pena line and the question: would I do it again? • 5:15 What success actually means to me now About Larreth Larreth Jimu is the Founder & CEO of Melsoft Academy and host of The Larreth Jimu Show. Founder Diaries is the most personal series on the channel — real stories from the journey of building, leading, and the small daily decisions that compound into a life. Connect https://melsoft.org/ · https://www.linkedin.com/in/larreth-jimu/ · https://www.instagram.com/larreth/ · https://x.com/LarrethJimu · @larreth If you've been searching for the cost of success, entrepreneurship sacrifices, what building a business really costs, founder story, south african entrepreneur, sacrifices of ambition, entrepreneurship in your 20s, losing friends while building a business, or h