I wasn't laid off, it was worse.
The last startup I worked for turned out to be a Theranos-in-miniature, and after 11 months (after solving the puzzle) I had to recuse myself to the VC who brought me in. Made me take a long pause/sabbatical to decide if I want to be in startups anymore, and I worked on my music for awhile.
Being in the midst of an intense job search before all this broke, I'd been blocking out the news. Coronavirus was peripheral to me, at best. I was just starting to gain traction on a job search, when Covid-19 lock-down happened.
The moment I realized (my weak knees broke the news) this was real: Trader Joe's, where all the aisles—normally so well-appointed, were empty. I've never seen anything like it, except in a Walking Dead episode.
After successfully exiting the store without fainting, I said, you know that silver lining? It's going to be huge.
In times of crisis, humans tend to go bigger. We discover how powerful we really are. It's going to become crystal clear what's important and what's not. We're living in the golden age of opportunity in so many ways it's not even funny.
Just because I haven't solved my own personal crisis doesn't mean I won't. It's going to push me out of my comfort zone even further, into a world suddenly in exactly the same place. The way forward is focusing on others.
Since last week, I've had two interviews go dark due to hiring freezes, but 3 dozen meaningful conversations with people over the internet that never would've happened otherwise. Some of them are afraid. I tell them about the silver lining.
Before Covid-19, I felt a lot more alone. Now it seems like everyone is freaking out right along with me, except I'm not anymore.