Any-Acanthisitta3053's journey

I recently found myself in a tricky situation while applying for a job in a niche role that I initially thought I wasn't ready for. An old colleague reached out to me about an opening at her company, and although I wasn't looking to leave my current job, I recommended a guy named Mike for the position. Mike is someone I know well from previous work and he’s very knowledgeable and passionate about this field. I thought he would be a great fit, especially since we had both applied for a similar role in the past without success. However, as time went on, I started feeling increasingly unhappy in my current position and realized that this new role could really play to my strengths and help me move forward in my career. Plus, the salary increase would be beneficial for my family. So, I reached out to my colleague and asked if I could still apply, and she said yes. I had my second round of interviews yesterday, and I learned that it's now down to me and Mike. I feel awful about it because I initially recommended him, and now I might be competing against him for the job. I’m worried about how this could affect our relationship, especially since he’s a good guy and could potentially be a client in the future. I’m torn between feeling like I should withdraw my application to avoid any awkwardness or just going through with it. I’m looking for some perspective on whether this is just a tough situation or if I’m crossing some kind of social line by continuing with my application.