To keep going when the going gets tough, you may need some fuel for your heart, rather than … (+)
When you read about startups, you’re naturally hit with all sorts of rational explanations and advice. This is great: clear and logical thinking is crucial to being successful as an entrepreneur.
However, to keep going when the going gets tough, you may need some fuel for your heart, rather than just your mind.
Here are some great poetic words to give you strength and inspiration when you need it most on your startup journey.
“It is better to be wrong in one’s own way than to be right in someone else’s.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
This is a great quote from one of the greatest novelists of all time to remind you that your startup journey has value even when you are failing and even when people criticize and disapprove.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Being a founder of an innovative project by definition means that you would have to face many challenges, fail again and again, iterate and pivot several times until you find the right product for the market. As you go through this daunting process, it’s good to remember these words from the father of modern fantasy literature.
“It is not good to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” – JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
An entrepreneur is first a doer and second a dreamer.
“True courage is when you know you’re beaten before you start, but you start anyway and get through it no matter what.” -Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
It takes courage to commit 100% to a startup project knowing that it has a 90% chance of failure. However, realizing that it’s worth a try anyway.
“After all tomorrow is another day!” -Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind
Resilience and persistence are two of the most important qualities to be a successful startup founder. When you come up short, always remember that tomorrow is another day.
“Nothing comes without knocking in this world, and after you’ve called, you usually have to go find it yourself.” – George Horace Lorimer, Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son
It pays to remind yourself from time to time that there is no substitute for hard work.
“Those with bad luck should at least try to balance it with good sense.” – Joe Abercrombie, Half the World
While luck is an indivisible part of success, it is also something that can be influenced. Don’t get discouraged when you’re dealt a bad hand of cards. Play your best to stay in the game and in the next draw you might get lucky. It’s important to note that in startups you usually only need to get lucky once.
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before the Destination.” ― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
Everything we do stems from our values. If you hold on to the constructive values as a founder and use them to create a productive culture in your project, success will inevitably come sooner or later.
“Today people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
This quote is an important reminder that as a startup founder, you are in the business of creating real value for other people’s lives. Success is impossible if you don’t.
“Whenever you feel like criticizing someone… just remember that everyone in this world hasn’t had the advantages you did.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
It is worth ending with a reminder to be kind. The fact that you are the founder of a startup, even without success, means that you are among the most privileged people on the planet. Use this privilege to improve your life and the lives of others and try to lift the people around you, instead of pushing them down.