# 2021 in one word Canonical source: [https://www.braver.net/en/blog/2021-in-one-word/]() The Braver journal On this same date last year, I wrote you a look back at 2020, and the word I shared to sum up that year was “sacrifice.” Funnily enough, 2021 was also a year of sacrifices, but that is not the first word that comes to mind. So what word does come to mind? I discussed it with Mathieu, and the word is “learning.” ![Marie-Lou Gagnon]() Marie-Lou Gagnon December 31, 2021 ![2021 in one word]() - Learning to be a boss and a better leader. - Learning to manage and accept sacrifices. - Learning to grow our company in a healthy way. - Learning from our mistakes. - Learning to share Braver. > *The willingness to learn has always moved me deeply, because undertaking a learning process is stressful and a sign of courage. First, we must accept that we do not know how to do something we would like to do. Then, we must take the risk of investing money and time, making sacrifices, putting in effort and experiencing the negative emotions that learning generates. But the hardest part is being confronted with the fact that we are not competent, perhaps even less so than we imagined. This process involves failing dozens and dozens of times to overcome each small step. Learning is a battle that brings a succession of losses to grieve and repeated rebuilding.* — **Guillaume Dulude** in the book [Je suis un chercheur d’or]() --- In 2021, we welcomed five new employees. Those were 5 moments of being thrown off balance. 5 moments when we wanted to convey our company's culture as authentically as possible. 5 moments when we took a leap into the unknown, hoping with all our hearts that this was the right piece of the puzzle. Our employees threw us off balance more than once. They pushed us to communicate our vision and goals more clearly. They challenged our positions, asked for structure and demanded our time. But above all, they helped us grow and become better leaders. Without them, Braver would not be what it is today. They are wonderful, they are brilliant, they are brave. --- In 2021, we learned to accept that we were dedicating another year of our lives to Braver. Once again, sacrifices punctuated this past year, sometimes weighing heavily on our shoulders and squeezing our hearts. Have we grown used to these sacrifices? Perhaps a little, but not completely. I know I am repeating myself, and I do not like sounding as though I am complaining, but I believe it is important to acknowledge the reality of business leaders, because they are all around us and we do not always understand what their work is really like. But what exactly does that mean? Getting up as early as possible to make progress on the mountain of work before employees arrive. Holding strategy meetings on weekends. Putting vacations off until who knows when. Prioritizing employees' salaries. Saying no to friends and family to meet deadlines. Caring about clients at every hour of the day and night. Constantly thinking about employees, financing, deadlines, accounting, the product, strategy, cash flow, partners, company culture, everyone's birthdays, deployment and bugs. It simply never stops. It follows you everywhere. And sometimes you have to trick yourself and be in denial. For the space of a long weekend, act as if none of it exists. As if. --- In 2021, we learned that we were right to be ambitious and to want to complete the MSSS's TGV certification despite being such a small company. At the end of this past October, we officially received the certification, a first for a messaging application. We have told you about it more than once over the past 15 months. It was demanding and bumpy, but also full of learning and pride. This certification has so much value to us and to Braver because it reflects our word and our commitment. It is tangible proof that two young entrepreneurs driven by a desire to do things properly were not just talking through their hats. We prioritized data security out of respect for patients' privacy and a desire to establish a strong bond of trust with our users. We stayed true to our values and convictions, and that is precious. --- In 2021, we made mistakes, and they became opportunities to learn. We were too ambitious in some areas, took risks that did not work out and sometimes trusted a little too much. Some of these mistakes brought us a good deal of stress, but we decided not to fall into regret. Because regret eats away at you, and we absolutely need to save our energy to move forward. We know we are not perfect, and as Mathieu would say, “*We try to make the best possible decision with the knowledge we have at that moment.*” --- In 2021, we also learned to bring innovation to market: to put a digital health application into the hands of healthcare professionals. Oh my, did we have blind spots. And we could never have anticipated all of these things. We had to experience them to truly learn. Having users is so, so rewarding. But also so, so stressful. In our case, we know that our product is not yet as perfect as we would like it to be. We had to accept that reality, set our ego aside and see this crucial stage as part of a continuous improvement process. We know we have little bugs, we know some features are missing, but that is innovation. --- In 2021, Braver became much bigger than two dreamy, idealistic, crazy entrepreneurs. We not only have 5 incredible employees, but also a valued medical adviser who works with us a few hours a week. We have motivated users who respect our progress and are always willing to give us feedback. We have highly skilled consultants who give 100% to support us in the business. We have entrepreneur friends who are always available to share their knowledge and ready to help us. We have partners who are motivated and inspired by Braver. We have investors worth their weight in gold (no pun intended) who were quicker than their own shadows in joining a 2nd financing round and introducing us to other wonderful investors. We have an advisory committee, support from two accelerators and one heck of a lineup of coaches. And it is moving to see how deeply all these people hold Braver in their hearts. They are there, day after day, having consciously chosen to be part of the adventure. It fascinates me to see how much they believe in us and in Braver. Why did they decide our cause was worthy enough to invest their most precious resource: their time? It overwhelms and moves me to see them carry Braver's mission as we have been carrying it for more than three years now. And do you know why it overwhelms me? Because I feel responsible for all these people. I want to succeed, and I must succeed, to honour their trust. We are learning to manage this overflow of emotion. We are learning to let go. We are learning to make decisions with all these wonderful people in mind. We are learning to move quickly, but not so quickly that we lose Braver's soul. *The Braves family has grown. And watch out, 2022: this is only the beginning!*