You are about begin the startup game.
You are facing north. Or what you believe north to be.
Before you is an opening. Beyond that are many openings.
Each opening shows opportunity. Each could be the first step towards the big vision. Towards your dream.
Which one to take? It doesn’t matter does it? You can try them all surely.
You step through an opening. Second on your left. First on your right. Second on your right. Second left. Third on your right. First on your right.
You are back to where you started. But now your a little tired and hungry.
Another opening. More. More. At last, some progress.
This part looks harder. You need some help. There are people in the game. You can ask for help. You share your vision. Some come along. Some help. Some don’t.
More progress. A little more hungry, a little more tired.
The way, north you assume, is blocked. Go back? Move it? Go over? You go over. It hurts. You lose some people.
More progress. More hungry. More tired.
“Pssst, over here”, you hear from an opening, “come this way. It’s a shortcut.”
That’s great. A shortcut. You’re hungry and tired. You take it.
It’s no short cut. It’s longer, harder and you’re not even sure you are going in the right direction any more.
You get back on track. Some people are still with you. Some have left.
How far are you away from the end? A day? A year? A lifetime? What if you don’t actually get there and you need to start again? It’s possible.
You keep going.
You go faster. More tired.
You try new things and they don’t work. More hungry.
You reinvent. More tired.
You get more help. More hungry.
You keep going.
You keep going.
You keep going.
You keep going.
You keep going.
You come out into a clearing.
It’s light. There is fresh air. You know where you are and you know who you are.
You are not where you wanted to be. You know it for sure.
You have failed. You feel empty.
You look back from where you came. It looks unchanged. Same openings. Same challenges. Same short cuts. Same people.
You sigh.
What about you? Are you the same?
You understand now.
Openings take time. Make you tired. Make you hungry. Choose wisely. Focus.
People can help. Some people, and you know which ones.
Short cuts aren’t short cuts. They are distractions.
Challenges can be overcome. If you persist. If you are determined.
You smile. You grit your teeth.
You turn.
You are facing north. Though you know that it isn’t.