"These entrepreneurs are of a similar caliber as me. Why are they more successful?" After a lot of struggle, the ocean gave me the answer…
Running is a common way people describe entrepreneurship. You pick a path & then run with focus. You run to the best of your ability & don’t give up. In the race, the conditions are same for everyone & you have a lot of control on what you are doing. So success mostly comes down to your talent, training & tenacity. Do the right things well enough & long enough & one day you’ll win the race. But running is the wrong metaphor for Entrepreneurship (& even life). A much better metaphor is Surfing. Because in surfing, there is 1 factor which has an enormous impact on your success, it’s different for everyone & you have no control over it. What’s that? The Wave. Andy Rachleff explained it best: → Great Entrepreneur + No/Bad Wave = Nothing happens → Ordinary Entrepreneur + Great Wave = Something might happen → Great Entrepreneur + Great Wave = Magic happens The moment I read this, I realised that I had made a huge mistake. I had spent all my time trying to become a better entrepreneur & leader. I had given almost no thought to the wave. And this explained why some leaders of a similar caliber as me were having more success. They were brilliant at picking the right waves. This was humbling but clarifying. I could finally see the full equation. I just had to work on the half I had ignored till now. Eventually I synthesised my learnings into 5 lessons. I kept the surfing metaphor as a reminder. Sharing here in case they help: 1️⃣ Study what creates success in your field & the best paths to get there (learn what makes for a great wave & where/when they are generally found) 2️⃣ Keep honing your skills (you still need to be a great surfer to take advantage of a great wave) 3️⃣ Consciously spend time with people & in places where great opportunities are found (You can’t catch a great wave from the beach. You have to be in the ocean, ready & looking) 4️⃣ Remember the role of timing (Even with a great wave, when you get on it matters. Too early & you will be positioned wrong & too late & you will likely nose-dive) 5️⃣ If you do catch a great wave, ride it all the way to the end (There’s judgement + skill + luck involved in catching a great wave. You won’t catch too many so make sure to make the most of the ones you do catch) Finally, I think these lessons are applicable for anyone trying to make a successful career & not just entrepreneurs. Wave = Those foundational decisions that you make at the start of your journey & which have a disproportionate impact on how the journey plays out. Eg: the field you are in, what role you play in the field, the company you join, when you join it etc. ——————————— Does this wave & surfing analogy resonate with you?