For most of us, it’s what’s stopped us making the leap from corporate to startup: risk. Financial, reputation, fear of failure, fear that we’re not up to it. Some of you have written to me about risk, questioning whether you’ve done the right thing, leaving the comfort of the corporate. My coach Miffa calls it the “veranda moment”, where you look back to the cosy workplace you’ve left, where everyone looks so happy and safe…and you look forward and gulp.
I love this essay Adam. Your view on how you minimize the risks and the problems by sharing them with others is extremely true. I think that this is why so many entrepreneurs find comfort in joining networks such as accelerators or VC portfolio. Immediately it reduces the risk and increases the opportunity.
For me life is a long long marathon of choices and decisions. Your view about risk and opportunity got me thinking that our life journey (and not just with our ventures and entrepreneurial path) is like vector calculus. Each vector has size and direction. Each decision or node in our life is the addition of those two vectors - the risk vector (R) and the Opportunity vector (O). The addition of those two (some could be negative) will take you to a point in your life coordinates. The idea is to make sure that you optimize and have a general idea what is the point you want to get to and by making those additions you will get there.
Thank you Illai, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can imagine joining an accelerator would help you evaluate your own risks more objectively. I like your mathematical/philosophical approach. I also like the free will we all have (what I think you refer to as optimizing) to see and turn risks into opportunities, so we always keep some command of those life coordinates - even if at some times we feel lost or out of control!
I love this essay Adam. Your view on how you minimize the risks and the problems by sharing them with others is extremely true. I think that this is why so many entrepreneurs find comfort in joining networks such as accelerators or VC portfolio. Immediately it reduces the risk and increases the opportunity.
For me life is a long long marathon of choices and decisions. Your view about risk and opportunity got me thinking that our life journey (and not just with our ventures and entrepreneurial path) is like vector calculus. Each vector has size and direction. Each decision or node in our life is the addition of those two vectors - the risk vector (R) and the Opportunity vector (O). The addition of those two (some could be negative) will take you to a point in your life coordinates. The idea is to make sure that you optimize and have a general idea what is the point you want to get to and by making those additions you will get there.
I feel very philosophical right now :)
Thank you Illai, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can imagine joining an accelerator would help you evaluate your own risks more objectively. I like your mathematical/philosophical approach. I also like the free will we all have (what I think you refer to as optimizing) to see and turn risks into opportunities, so we always keep some command of those life coordinates - even if at some times we feel lost or out of control!
The veranda is like any journey - if in doubt, pack snacks ; )
I love the honesty!
Learnt from the best! No point being anything other than...