Sproutly A Blog for Young and Growing Entrepreneurs

Yossi, Young Entrepreneurs, and the Arena

In Startup on 12 October 2007 with Comments

5:51am and I should be studying for my EE midterm tomorrow today, but I’ve just been distracted by this inspirational post.

Yossi Vardi, the orginal investor in ICQ and a believer in young entrepreners, uses Roosevelt’s 1910 speech to give an analogy to today’s entrepreneurs in the area:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Mike also sheds some light:

If you are an entrepreneur (or think you may be), forget the critics (even us) and the naysayers and just do what your heart tells you to do. You may be wasting your time, but at least you got into the arena. And if you fail, make sure you fail while “daring greatly.” Then, get into the arena again, having learned from your mistakes.

Ok, back to studying … I’ll write more tomorrow.