TIFU:
I forgot to get one our staff tested for COVID (update: a past, but not current, industry requirement) and when our area was checked, we basically had to shut down operations, and then I spent two days in the police lockup.
Day 1
I spent the first few hours crunching through a giant corporate finance model in my head, and pretty much figured out that I had run out of ways to actively keep our five-year-old venture alive.
The lockup experience itself was unsurprising in quality, and if anything at all, it was more pleasant than I had been trained for when I studied solitary confinement in college. Everyone was very friendly and optimistic about their own situation, and basically THAT has been a reminder to me that things may quickly get worse, since I generally tend to hedge against the majority view. (More notes on this have been written elsewhere, AMA, I'll paste in the relevant answers.)
Day 2
I spent a bit of time talking to memories of girls I've loved, in the same way that people who believe in God talk to their personal God (a long time ago, I was trained, to train people in how to do this). I also firmed up the brand identity for a fashion concept based on oneliners by people who disagree about why their breakups happened, as catharsis for getting dumped earlier this month. But back to the main issue - business continuity ...
Thanks to (a Malaysian business Facebook) group and the group member who bailed me out after the remand period concluded! I thought I would write a bit about this experience to open the door for people to share similar experiences also.
Right after I got out, I fired the entire staff. It was the right thing to do, as we could no longer help each other, our customers, or the country which we had all been serving. I also sent some data to the investigating officer to assist in his work, in order to demonstrate what is trendily called a strategy of "radical transparency". Then I met my audit signatories to get their views on my model for a controlled termination of our business. Everyone has a bit of homework, that was last night, and I'm still catching up on my bit because ...
... Day 3
I got our signage printed to advertise the sale of our tangible, intellectual, and financial assets. I sent more data to the officer. I visited my parents out of state to pay my last respects, in case I would have go to jail later. I updated a lot of personal and business contacts and eventually was just copying and forwarding the same answers to questions from everyone. I caught up on voice calls and meetings that had been missed, or which had been somewhat overdue. I got out ex-staff to update some social media properties about our cessation of operations because I have not been allowed to touch corp social media since 2017.
... Day 4
At around 3 a.m. I finally got around to summarising in email our current situation to investors, and now have to go do a little homework (see above), before I try and wake up to get to Putrajaya by 8 a.m. ish in order to assist our now-friends in their situation by finding "snake" agents who sit in government buildings, and allegedly can make penalties magically disappear. If I find any, I will let you have their contacts if you face similar problems. But I am, as I have been for two decades, disgusted that this is even a thing.
TLDR: I missed one federal protocol item, lost my entire staff, disappointed our customers, got fungal infection in gaol, and am now waiting for hate mail from stakeholders and a possible charge from public prosecutors, while I try to ensure that all our stakeholders are treated fairly, as we proceed to liquidate our business, and/or refinance the project.
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