October 4th will go down as the craziest day in College Football history. 5 teams in the Top 10 lost, and 10 in the Top 25. Upsets on both coasts. Fans tore down the goal posts in Oxford, MS and rushed the field in Fort Worth, TX. I hope you had time to catch your breath.

For me, it was a suffocating Saturday to cap off a suffocating week. I just finished my first week of Starter School and was on information overload.

I couldn’t help but find similarities between my favorite sport and my new career path. The landscape, although different, affords its competitors a similar set of challenges. I list my lessons learned below.

“Next man up” is just a facade: Dealing with injuries and graduations are part of running a successful college football program. Coaches often use the “next man up” or “no I in team” philosophy to help boost moral. It’s bullshit. College football is a team sport for sure, but great players still can win games. Especially at the quarterback position.

Sam Altman in “How to Start a Startup” talks about a similar circumstance. When it comes to the first few employees, unless you are willing to bet the company on that person, don’t hire them. In a startup, the founders are not replaceable. They are the quarterbacks.

Press does not matter, wins do: The big boys in the SEC get all the hype, but it’s the ones that lurked in the shadows that are laughing now. Ole Miss, Miss. State, and Kentucky all came in as underdogs, and all beat powerhouse programs.

David Heinemeier Hansson suggests that it does not matter if a startup gets featured in TechCrunch or Crain’s. All that matters is profit. In fact, startup founders who focus on PR are often blinded by the sex appeal of it. Staying out of the press tends to be a great strategy. Work hard and improve your product each day. That’s the only driver of success.

Get momentum, and then get more of it: Confidence is a key for startup team success, and the fastest way to get confident is to keep winning. Small wins should be the focus for startup teams. Daily, even hourly wins keep the momentum going. Sam Altman mentions that “one sale can fix everything.”

Mississippi State was losing early to Texas A&M but began to capitalize on small opportunities. Converting a single third down. Making a tough catch. Starting with good field position. Once the train starts rolling, it becomes impossible to slow down. The Aggies learned this first hand on Saturday.

You need to do the small things well: In a startup everything matters. That means simple sales tactics, hiring, and written communications. The boring crap.

Field goals are one of the most boring plays in football, but provided all the fireworks in the UCLA vs Utah game. 8th ranked UCLA missed two late field goals to lose its first game of the season. The loss almost certainly secured its place on the outside looking in come January. Attention to detail made all the difference.

Nobody is safe: The fact that someone else is doing what you are doing, should not be a reason to quit. In some cases, it may be the exact opposite- validation. Startups often approach similar problems differently, and offer its users unique benefits.

The fact that 5 Top 10 teams fell this Saturday is validation that nobody is safe. Teams should keep working. They should find unique strategies and gameplans to beat the best. And once they do, realize the target is now on their back.

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