When my mum was discharged from hospital on a Friday — still in pain, still scared — I realised the system doesn’t end at the hospital doors. This is what “transitioning home” actually looks like for families: no plan, no support, just paperwork and people left to cope.

I watched my mum crawl, bleeding, across her bathroom floor after a fall — too scared to press the emergency button, too proud to call for help. A year earlier, my dad died unwitnessed in a hospital that was meant to keep him safe. Now I finally see the truth: the system isn’t broken. It was never human to begin with.

After 12 years of building my virtual try-on fashion tech Puctto, I’ve closed the chapter. It wasn’t the exit I hoped for, but Google’s recent launch of their own virtual try-on feature validated everything I worked for. This isn’t about regret – it’s about clarity, timing, and learning to build on my own terms. Here’s what I learned after over a decade as a founder trying to change the game – and why I’m finally free to move forward.