Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt
Every day, I think about quitting. Some days more than others. And every day, statistically you should probably quit. And I have quit a bunch of times.
I know that, as I continue this journey, my biggest competitor is the risk-averse human psyche, always wanting to retreat to a safe zone.
But now, every time I question my faith in my venture, I ask myself three questions:
- Why do I want to give up right now? What has actually changed, since, yesterday?
- What percentage of people would quit right here?
- How much smaller is the field (competitors + other attention detractors) that remain if I stick it out.
The result: Startups are a war of attrition. Personally, I believe that every day, more and more people give up. If I can outlast my competitors, spend more time listening to the market, and have more at-bats, the better the chances of my, and our success.
Instead of losing motivation and giving up… I get excited because I have faith in what will happen if I just keep pushing.
I’m very early in my entrepreneurial journey, but it’s actually reassuring to read this honest post.
It seems to me there’s a perception that entrepreneurs love and believe in what they’re doing so much that they never question it. But I do, and I feel guilty for it.
Thank you for writing this.
And, for what it’s worth, there are people pulling for you. There are people who know you can do this, win this war of attrition.
Thanks to Nick Barron for tweeting this out. Very interesting and even poetic post. While the stories are very different, this could easily be titled “The Longeliness of the Long Distance Runner.” The only people who never win, are the people who don’t play. The harder, and longer you play the more lucky you get.
Best!