Lessons from a CEO and CFO who never bent under pressure

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A software engineer reflects on working closely with two senior leaders — a CEO and a CFO — at an early-career company that nearly went under. The CEO, unable to read code, had a sharp instinct for identifying the single sellable feature in any product and relentlessly pursued new business categories even as others failed. His drive, the author notes, was forged through financial hardship and a failed venture rather than innate talent. The CFO quietly absorbed the company's gravest financial risks personally, shielding the rest of the team from pressures that could have paralyzed operations. Together, the two shaped the author's understanding of resilience, focus, and the different forms that relentless drive can take.

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