附近上门

Editor鈥檚 note: This is part of Something Ventured, a series started a year ago by 附近上门 News examining diversity and access to capital in the venture-backed startup ecosystem.

One year ago, had just closed a $5.5 million seed extension and the company was seeing significant growth for not even being a year old.

However, Fabian still had doubts鈥攏ot about his company, but rather concerns that cut much deeper.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had this feeling of 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what the (expletive) I鈥檓 doing,鈥欌�� said Fabian, reflecting on what he鈥檚 learned in the last year being part of the Something Ventured project. 鈥淏ut in the last year, I鈥檝e become OK with that.

鈥淚 realize no one knows,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e all have ideas, but no one really knows.鈥�

In the last year, Fabian guided Metafy鈥攁 platform that enables online gamers to monetize their talent through one-on-one coaching and courses鈥� to a $25 million Series A at a $105 million valuation and $1 million in gross merchandise volume (GMV). This year, the company expects that will increase to between $5 million and $10 million.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to be the smartest guy in the room,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 OK with that. I just need to enable this team I鈥檝e helped create guide this company.鈥�

Finding clarity

Coming to that understanding helped Fabian uncover his purpose.

鈥淚 think the biggest thing I鈥檝e found in the last year is clarity,鈥� he said. 鈥淥nce you have that, you can be more ambitious.鈥�

Thanks to that clarity, the idea of Metafy is much bigger than it was when he founded the company just 18 months ago, Fabian said.

And he was helped along by a somewhat unlikely group of people鈥攁t least in Fabian鈥檚 mind.

鈥淎s much as I talk shit about investors, many of the ones we鈥檝e brought in have been instrumental in my growth,鈥� Fabian said.

From studying other executives to taking leadership training courses, Fabian said he learned valuable lessons and is learning how to lead intuitively.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned that what you give attention to is what you become,鈥� he said.

Life changes

While he gained experience and wisdom in the last year, he鈥檚 also lost some.

鈥淭his has aged me a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have wrinkles, there鈥檚 gray in my beard. A day can feel like a year.鈥�

But he cares less about the personal impact.. Last September, Fabian decided to move from Pittsburgh to New York for about three weeks a month to concentrate on the business. This also meant he moved away from his four kids still in Pittsburgh to concentrate on the business.

鈥淧eople have told me鈥攑eople I respect鈥攖hat I鈥檓 a terrible father and that really has weighed on me,鈥� Fabian said. 鈥淭hey say I鈥檓 being selfish or I care about money. It鈥檚 not about the money鈥�it鈥檚 about the sense of purpose.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 doing now is what I was born to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want (those people) to understand that.鈥�

Fabian says moving away from his children is one of the most difficult decisions he made as a founder. However, he senses that his kids understand. His oldest son 鈥�12 years old鈥� has even taken an interest in Metafy.

鈥淚 talk to him about what鈥檚 going on,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e even talked about M&A.

鈥淚 think my kids get it,鈥� Fabian adds.

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