Never blow up a bridge, even if you badly want to

Bridges connect two distinct and often distant points, over a dangerous terrain or physical gap.

They’re often used as a metaphor for connecting distinct and often opposing opinions or interests.

Just like physical bridges, the ones that are established in the entrepreneurial world can often be blown up.

Disagreements, a change of heart, or a reaction to a deal gone bad, are often reasons to destroy the bridge and reinstate the gap.

But just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.

Bridges are hard to build, and they can often be left alone to serve a purpose of reminding you that you put effort into something.

Sometimes, the mere existence of a bridge initiates a reconnection, and the business that failed to come to fruition the first time around, finally happens.

For example, a buyer contacted me twice to buy a domain, and both times they pulled out of the deal: the first time they said they were examining alternative options, the second time they could not come up with the funds.

Both times, I had the chance to react in a manner that would ‘blow up’ the bridge I had built. I could simply waste the time spent on phone conversations, and the nice exchanges of emails. I could have told them to fuck off.

But I didn’t, and the third time it was a charm: the buyer volunteered to pay a premium on top of the initial offer, plus the full escrow fees, which I welcomed. While I did keep my communication with them short this time, I performed my part of the deal with the same professionalism as if the bridge was never at risk of being destroyed.

After Escrow.com released the funds, I can now sit back and share this experience, confident that in the future you too will think twice before blowing up any bridge you worked hard for.

TGIF!