Here’s what I wrote when I left FiscalNote. I originally published this on LinkedIn on April 3, 2025, and added it here on September 24, 2026. The original wording is preserved below.
Monday was my last day as an employee at FiscalNote. Writing that felt surreal. After 12 full years of pouring my heart into the company as a Co-Founder, I've decided to step back to empower our new leadership team. I'll remain involved as a Board Member, but not in day-to-day management. FiscalNote was born from a purpose that still inspires me – creating a more transparent political system that disruptively shines light on injustice and uncertainty (exact quote from our 2013 plan).
From the beginning, we believed the way to achieve that purpose was through cutting-edge artificial intelligence and beautiful design. This still holds true today. When Tim Hwang came to me with the idea for FiscalNote, I told him it was his best idea ever and that we should go for it. With Jonathan Chen, we developed the concept, applied to Plug and Play Tech Center's Startup Camp, borrowed money for flights and a Motel 6, and got to work.
We worked extreme hours, but it didn't feel like work – it was exciting. After 100+ VC meetings, a cold email to Mark Cuban changed everything. We raised our Seed round, hired our first team, and I became a college dropout (my parents still make fun of me). I started most departments at FiscalNote – finance, operations, people, sales, customer success, marketing – doing whatever was needed. Most recently, I led our generative AI efforts.
It was a full-circle moment to start and end my time focused on AI. For 12 years, I went to sleep and woke up thinking about FiscalNote. I wore FiscalNote-branded clothes almost daily, was recognized by my FN backpack, and used “fn” in my social media handles. I spent over a third of my life building FiscalNote. I will miss FiscalNote. I'm leaving behind an important part of myself. That said, I don't feel regret.
I'm incredibly blessed to have gone from zero to IPO ($NOTE), with two of my middle school friends. When we started in 2013, I made two promises:
- "I'm dedicating 10+ years of my life to this." Promise kept.
- "No matter what happens, all three of us will stay friends." Promise kept.
Tim was my Best Man, and I just celebrated Jonathan's birthday. Keeping promises is important to me. I don't make them easily. Long-term commitment and friendship were non-negotiables for me to give it my all.
I recommend startup founders make similar promises. If it’s not obvious already, I love FiscalNote. I’ll always be a FiscalNoter. The people at FiscalNote made a huge impact on my life, and I hope I made a positive difference in some of theirs. As this chapter closes, I hope to carry the lessons and relationships into whatever comes next. Thank you, FiscalNote, for everything.
So, what's next?
- For those who don’t know, I have a daughter now! Dedicating time to family is a top priority.
- I plan to continue working on mission-driven startups, with great people.
- There’s a long list of people to thank. If you’re reading this, feel free to reach out directly first!
Stay FN awesome.
Photos from the original post
Select a photo to view it full size. You can also view the post and conversation on LinkedIn.
