The Unspoken Factor in Startups & Entrepreneurship: Faith & Self Belief

What causes a person to do a startup? To take the risk when there are so many other certain and probably more profitable paths out there for someone bright, smart and ambitious. 

Money. Sure, but investment banking and hedge funds are a more certain thing. Status? Maybe in Silicon Valley but not sure in most circles or parts of the world. Freedom and control? Definitely. 

But ultimately it comes down to taking a bet on yourself and self belief. Faith. Faith that there is a there there. Faith that you will figure things out. 

It’s neat how random readings spark these ideas: many of these come from the sci-fi series of Warhammer 40k: Dan Abnett’s: The End and the Death.”

“That’s what faith does. It takes away fear. When he found it, it took away fear, and self conscious vanity, and all mortal concerns.”

Startups are a religious movement, some would even say a cult. You have to be the cult leader.  to lead you have to believe. How can you convince others if you don’t believe it yourself? You will always have doubts. That’s normal. And you will have tough days, that’s inevitable. It will be hard work and long hours. Everything and anything worthwhile requires that. 

Doing a startup requires courage. “What is courage, except an act? Courage isn’t a passive quality. Whether instinctive or forced, it’s the condition of acting in the face of danger.”

But this is how you build a legendary company like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, Salesforce or Oracle. Mythical companies. 

“This venture would be a myth, for in myths, the weak, the outnumbered, the mere mortals, they always prevailed. 

He should have remembered that myths never feel like myths at the time. You only realize you’ve been part of one long after it’s over. At the time, nothing is certain, and the chances of triumph are slim.”

This is why so many successful founders and builders go back to doing startups again. Even if they don’t need the money or accolades. 

It’s to experience this feeling again. Defying the odds. The dopamine of discovery, building and being part of something bigger than yourself. To be the ultimate alchemist, creating something from nothing. Gold from air. It’s an addictive thing. To show you that faith can lead you to do impossible things like startups.