Startup is an ultramarathon

Igor Kosta
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read
Mallorca has some beautiful trails (the picture is mine)

Pace team

To achieve greatness in anything you do is a hard enough journey. In order to make your life a little easier — surround yourself with like-minded people.

On a long run like a marathon (or an ultra) your body will get exhausted and you mind will start playing tricks on you — it will try to make you quit.

It’s the same when you try to make a startup work. There will be a lot of bumps in the road and your mind (and some of the people around you) will try to make you quit — that’s just how our mind works.

In these hard times it’s the best to have people who believe in you and your goal and will pace you helping you to continue pushing forward.

On your way you’ll meet a lot of people who’ll try to convince you that you cannot achieve what you’re striving for. Once you found someone who believes in you and what you do — hang on to them. Avoid poisonous people at all cost — they’ll only consume your energy.

Don’t get me wrong—you will still be able to achieve greater heights — it will just be much harder if you will be surrounded by the people who don’t believe in you.

Whatever you do in your life, there will always be people who will try to talk you down or diminish your achievements.

All of that is a part of a human nature. Don’t pay a lot of attention — keep going.

If you’re going through hell, keep going. (probably not Winston Churchill)


Dedication beats talent

It doesn’t matter how talented you are — if you don’t grow and nourish your talent, if you don’t try to get better at what you do, the more dedicated ones (even if they are less talented) will beat you in the long run.

If you want to get better at anything, you have to spend time doing it. You have to track and analyze your progress.


To get faster you have to slow down

All the athletes know that recovery is one of the key factors of your growth. The same applies for every other activity.

See your brain as a muscle — in order to get better at problem solving you not only have to solve as many different problems as possible, you also have to let your brain rest.

All of us experienced our brains working on a problem long after we forgot about it ourselves. Give yourself some time-off.


There is no silver bullet

Even buying the most expensive gear won’t make you much faster.

Yes, it might protect you from getting injured and help you protect your joints on longer runs but it won’t make you that much faster. If you want to get faster or improve your endurance — you’ll have to exercise and put a lot of effort.


Expect a bumpy ride

If you do something for the first time, if you try to achieve something you never achieved before — there will be failures. You will ask yourself if you are doing the right thing. You will doubt yourself-a lot. You will want to stop. It’s all part of the game.

Only the ones who will keep moving and ignore the obstacles, learn from them but not letting them stop you-will make it.


It will take time

Whatever you do in life — to get better at it will take time, a lot of time.


And always remember

  • If a problem can be solved with the money it’s not a problem it’s an expense
  • Everything if “figureoutable”
Igor Kosta

Written by

Software Engineer and Product Lead @mbanq

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