Illia, tbh I hate that every single material drop is somehow related to a moment from my previous role lol. I hate it because it forces me to remember both the good and the bad. But at the same time it gives me validation that I at least did the right thing on my side.
My founder was known for not showing up publicly, for personal and family reasons. Even in my first weeks on the team, the team had confirmed a podcast appearance to talk about the project and when I reminded him he seemed unaware of it entirely. Since he and I were the only English speakers on the team, I ended up doing it in his place. That kind of thing became a pattern. A bigger company later acquired the studio and he got pulled into a much larger role there, the kind where companies in the Korean tech market compete hard just to have you. His absences stretched into months and I carried the community alone during that time.
I never went to him with "you're wrong for this." I came with plans. Low-effort ways he could still show up regularly without it being a burden. Some of his riskier decisions I ended up explaining to the community myself. People eventually saw I was holding things together, and the anxiety showed. The "no Lydia equals end of project" sentiment started coming naturally from the community itself.
I noted the red flags early. The absences getting longer each time. I kept coming back with new plans thinking something would land. I stayed because the community was real to me even when the founder was not in the room. Those members showed up every day and I was not about to let them feel that absence more than they already did. And even without his presence in the community, our communication stayed solid. He was open with me about his plans as far as the NDA with the parent company allowed. That trust went both ways.
I had always approached him with genuine intentions and the right framing, and in the end that is the part I can hold onto.