Can I invest in your startup, Dad?
Earlier this week I experienced an unexpected parenting highlight.
Driving home from my son’s basketball game and, like usual, instead of just saying “Good boy Jordy, well played.” I was going on and on like “You know you can still pivot after two steps as long as you don’t lift your pivot foot, right?”.
Out of nowhere Jordy, who’s 14, asked me: “Can I invest $350 in Timely, Dad?”.
This took me by surprise, but it wasn’t out of character for Jordy. He had recently had a birthday where he collected the $350 in presents. Jordy has always had his own style when it comes to spending money. Unlike my younger boy, Mason, who will buy the first thing he sees in the shop and immediately start haggling with me for a loan for more stuff!
I realised some time had passed and I hadn’t answered his question yet. But before I had the chance to answer, Jordy had started his due diligence.
“I mean what’s the minimum amount you would let someone invest? Probably like $50k?” he asked.
Wow, stunned again. Not only a great question, but he answered it himself with a sane number.
Again I paused too long to get an answer in before the next set of questions came.
“How much would you turn my money into? A few thousand dollars? When could I get that money back? Would someone have to offer you like $100 million for the business? Would you sell it for that Dad?”
By now my eyes were like saucers. More great questions. More surprisingly sane numbers. I hadn’t even joined the conversation yet, so I thought I’d better get in quick with an answer before the boy thought I was an idiot.
“Well, yes Jordy, right now we probably would sell at that price.”
And then came the parenting highlight.
“But what if you held onto it for a couple of years longer and then it was worth a billion dollars?” he asked.
And for once, I gave the right answer.
“Good boy Jordy, well played. Well played.”