Why Most Startups Enter the Arena and Fail (and the One Thing You Can Do to Make Sure You Win)

Into the Ring

Creating

Creating anything takes guts; I explained that in depth in my book The Art of Instigating.

It takes guts because you're going to take a hit (no question about it), and taking a hit isn't pleasant.

Nobody WANTS to take a hit.

But the person unwilling to take a hit might as well stay out of the arena.

The boxer not willing to get knocked down shouldn't enter the ring, just like the creator/producer/writer/inventor not willing to fail should avoid creating art.

When you step into the ring - when you enter the arena - you will take a hit.

If you’re not ready to deal with it – to take a hit and to hit back – you’ve lost before you even started.

The Hobbyist

Most people don’t commit.

Most people don’t go all in.

Most people don’t burn the boat.

As soon as you make up your mind to do all three, you’ve just eliminated 90% of the competition.

Why?  Because most people don’t commit, when things get difficult (and they always do), they throw in the towel.

After all, what’s the point of going through the pain of taking another hit when you had no intention of making it to the last round in the first place?

Most people dabble – most people are hobbyists – and when the real pain of creating, building and inventing sets in, they throw in the towel and walk away.

To the End

Eventually you’ll get hit.

No matter how good a boxer, no matter how great a writer, designer, builder, entrepreneur or inventor, you will experience rejection, setback and failure.

You can’t avoid taking a hit, but you can train yourself to take a hit (and hit back).

The hobbyist spends his energy trying to avoid taking a hit.  When the hit comes (and it always does), he's done.

The hobbyist never commits.

The professional – the person serious about what he's doing – is willing to take a hit and knows how to hit back.

The professional commits.

And because the professional commits, he has very little competition from the hobbyists.

The professional will inevitably find success - he’s in it to the end.

The hobbyist is done before he starts.

Which are you?

 

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