How Did Michael FitzGerald Tell True Ventures He Was Dying?

The day after Submittable's Series A, Michael FitzGerald had to phone True Ventures and say he was terminally ill, then leave for major surgery. He says the board did not hesitate. They told him to get treated and not to worry about the company. He calls that call one of the scariest things he has done, apart from the surgery. He was cancer-free afterward, then found a very small recurrence in his liver, which he says is nothing like the year before. When he posted in Y Combinator's internal forum, oncologists and founders working on cancer offered practical help. He is still grateful to those investors.