Alexandra Zatarain | Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer @ Eight Sleep

TL;DR

After her father’s death from cancer, Alexandra Zatarain accessed his Hotmail account to settle a pending business transaction. Reading his last emails, especially a message to her sister saying “You build the road by moving along never give up,” inspired her to leave her comfortable job in New York, move to San Francisco, and co-found a sleep technology company.

Key insights

• A deceased parent’s email can serve as an unplanned window into their unexpressed emotions and final days, even if the child was geographically distant.
• The father’s last responded email (eight days before hospital admission) showed he was still working and expressed gratitude for his care – feelings he had not shared directly with his family.
• The email that most inspired the speaker was not from the father to her, but a short message he wrote to her sister: “You build the road by moving along never give up.”