If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
The number one reason people fail in life is because they listen to their friends, family, and neighbors.
Tale of a Serial Bootstrapper
Horrible Bosses may seem a bit outrageous at times, but that’s only because some of the scenarios aren’t funny in reality, they’re actually quite sad. Take the following for example, honestly it’s not a far cry from reality for many of us.
Henry Kravis once said:
A real entrepreneur is somebody who has no safety net underneath them.
I’ve read many similar quotes over the years as well; I think they’re all trying to make a very significant point – creating a business has risks, pursuing a business goal means taking a risk and by definition taking risky steps is not possible if there’s some cushion waiting for you when you fall.
Being an entrepreneur is more than believing in one’s self. It’s working to apply a point of view on a problem set and meaningfully address customer need. In some cases that need will be conspicuous, in other cases less so, but still the point remains.
Since 2003, I’ve worked as an executive in various organizations, some I’ve created, and some I haven’t. What I’ve learned is that the personal philosophies and methodologies of entrepreneurs are fundamentally different than almost everyone else in an organization. In other words, few people really understand risk. The folks who join a team and sacrifice their time for the same often feel they are taking a risk. Relatively speaking they’re taking little risk in sharing their know how and time because if they’re at the top of the game, they lose nothing and instead simply sharpen their crafts against some new challenges. If they’re not at the top of their game and the founder and management team are, they’re in for a very didactic ride that will inevitably change their life for the better.
Startups are about testing theories and quickly pivoting based on feedback and data. Only through hundreds of small - and sometimes large - adjustments does the seemingly overnight success emerge.
The CEO’s Weekly Checklist
I thought this was a great read. It’s very important to understand what difference a great leader can make to make a company fire on all cylinders.
