Brave, Bold, and a Bit Bonkers
Working with various startup brands, hearing founders’ dreams, and venturing into entrepreneurship myself, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: building a successful business requires a mix of craziness, stupidity, bravery, and a dash of luck.
Firstly, you’ve got to be crazy – doing things that seem unbelievable to others. Imagine quitting a well-paying job to chase a wild dream; that’s the kind of crazy entrepreneurs often embrace.
As time ticks on, crazy transforms into stupidity. Leaving a stable job to start something and not seeing quick results for five years might seem foolish to everyone else. Whether it’s genuine stupidity or not is up for debate, as it’s relative and based on people’s perceptions.
Persisting in a venture that hasn’t worked for years and is only starting to show signs of life is true bravery. If you lack courage and give up too soon, that’s when you become not just stupid but also a failure. Many entrepreneurs find it hard to return to a regular job once they’ve tasted the thrill of entrepreneurship.
After 5 years in entrepreneur, I’m not a billionaire, but that doesn’t bother me because I love what I do. I started off as crazy, became stupid in the eyes of others due to my life choices, and what keeps me going is my bravery. The worst-case scenario isn’t ending up on the streets, so why not keep going?
I’m willing to trade something certain for something uncertain, and if it pays off, it’ll be worth it. However, there’s a good chance it might not work out, making the whole journey both crazy and stupid.
But here’s the twist – if everything aligns, you might get lucky. Luck is indeed a factor in startup success, but the beauty is that it isn’t distributed like a lottery. The odds are against those who are crazy, stupid, and brave.
The more you act courageously, the higher your chances of encountering luck. Achieving hockey stick growth requires many elements to fall into place, and the great thing about this kind of luck is that it offers multiple chances. Some startups miss opportunities because luck isn’t on their side at that moment, but staying in the game increases the probability of stumbling upon luck.
You don’t need luck every day – just the smarts to recognize it when it comes your way.
Cheers,
Arav Donda
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