Forrest Gump would have been an awesome founder.
For startups, growing fast usually requires two things: more cash and more team members*. The problem for most people, is their total experience in fundraising and hiring might be little or nothing. So why would anyone expect them to be good, never mind great.
This is why great investors and advisors can be so helpful — they provide a shortcut to the best strategies, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on building their specific business, without needing to become experts. It’s also why great accelerator programs can be helpful.
But I believe Forrest Gump may have succeeded through a different strategy — relentless repetition, everyday. Running, ping pong and even shrimp boat captaining. I was reminded of Forrest by the Expert in a Year Challenge. It chronicles Sam Priestly’s efforts to break into the top 250 players in the UK in a year.
The training montage begins with Sam in his living room. He looks less than comfortable in a few rally’s. Then it begins to increment through successive days of practice, culminating in him very much holding his own in a battle with a top 250 player in the UK.
The Expert in a Year video is a perfect reminder that daily practice can yield fantastic results, not just in great movies. Practicing pitches is well worth the time, even when you are not prepping for a demo day. You are going to keep reusing it not just for fundraising but for hiring too.
It’s harder to practice interviews or live conversations with investors. But if nothing else, it’s a reminder that it’s going to take a bunch of these conversations — not just to find the right fit, but just to get better.
So carve out a little time everyday to make sure you are becoming an expert. No need to overthink it. Just make sure you put in the time. If you can’t believe in Forrest, take a look at what Sam did in a year.
*Not always, but often enough to quickly read the words between the * and this sentence.
