Red Pill Labs - Day 150: A Founder’s Journey

Writing these blog posts has become a form of therapy for me. It started as a way to update my network with the comings and goings at Red Pill Labs, however, it’s turned into something that I had never anticipated when I started this journey; a simple yet powerful reflection tool for yours truly.  

We continue to grow and evolve as a business. On March 1st, 2022 we launched our first subsidiary company, Red Pill Technologies. We did this for two primary reasons, the first of which stems from our excitement of the tech scene here in Canada and not to mention our love for promoting and engaging with disruptive companies. Secondly, we have a driving desire to be part of an ecosystem that really supports the mid-market in a meaningful way. If you believe in technology as an enabler, then you’ll understand why we believe technology can level the playing field for SMBs and mid-market companies. Over the next few months we are doubling down on our commitment to the mid-market with another new offering, so expect some news in the coming weeks.

In conjunction with our launch, we also announced our partnership with Push Operations- a Vancouver based workforce management and payroll provider.  I started using Push at Red Pill Labs back in November when we hired our very first team member. I was familiar with running payroll the way many small business entrepreneurs do, the old fashioned way. Long story short; I ended up falling in love with the platform so much that I asked if we could partner. The rest, as they say, is history. If you are looking for a feature packed payroll and HR solution that punches well above its weight (and you are driven by value), then check out our website at https://www.rpltech.ca  

Full transparency here, this blog post was originally supposed to come out a month ago, but as I sat down to write, nothing I had to say seemed relevant. The invasion of Ukraine had just begun and it was devastating to my psyche. I quickly realized that everything I write here is inconsequential on a planet ravaged by climate change, a pandemic, war, water and education inequality, and famine.

Yet somehow the world moves on and we go about our lives; visiting restaurants, buying homes, planning vacations, bingeing Netflix, changing jobs, and trying to figure out why people are buying NFT’s. Do I feel a little guilty? Well I feel a lot guilty. The world’s problems are not our own problems unless it affects us directly. I know what you’re thinking “nice rant Neal, but what are you doing about it?”  The honest truth is that aside from empathetic feelings, I’ve actually done nothing. Sure I try to recycle, repurpose, upcycle, and try to support brands that share my values, but the bottom line is that my conscience is weighing me down. I feel the need to do more and I sincerely hope that I’m not alone here. Do you share any of these feelings? Anyone else feel guilty? Or do you appreciate the privileges we share? If you do, I'd love to hear how you deal with them, or at the very least, rationalize our very fortunate day to day lives.

Back to my update… We now have two companies, Red Pill Labs (advisory focused) which launched back in November 2021 continues to evolve and grow. I believe we have finally figured out who we are, our values, our combined consciousness, and it’s a beautiful thing. I’m looking forward to sharing more about this in a future blog post. Red Pill Technologies is now the younger sister company in the ever so delicate stage of infancy, whose primary focus is building its own teams, processes, and organizational culture. I’m excited to be on this journey and enjoy the experience as it evolves.

I apologize for the tone and emotion of this blog post, but I’ve been struggling with a few things and, as I said, this outlet has become therapeutic for me to share what I need to share in a genuine and authentic way. My next update will hopefully have a more positive tone, and while I’m not promising unicorns and rainbows, I will do my best. I’ll also have an update in response to my rant and what our plans are for making a difference in the lives of our employees, our valued clients, and our communities- whether local or global. 

I leave you with words from the good doctor:  “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cheers,

Neal