
You Don't Have What It Takes to Be a Founder - rjanoch
http://calacanis.com/2015/09/20/you-dont-have-what-it-takes
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enkiv2
Saying "you don't have what it takes to be a founder" is a lot like saying
"you don't have what it takes to win at slots". Winning is (almost) purely
random, but the more resources you have (in terms of wealth, social capital,
and temerity) the more chances you get to take.

The (implicit) meme in HN posts that success is mostly a function of skill
rather than mostly a function of luck is not merely misleading but actively
dangerous. We need to be fully aware that business (particularly business in
the middle of a bubble, or business where stocks are involved, or business
where you're borrowing money from investors) is essentially a form of
gambling, and can have very similar consequences for anyone who isn't
exceedingly lucky. We need to stop paying attention to success stories (with a
big enough pool, a series of miracles is inevitable) and pay attention to the
average case (which is to say, miserable failure).

~~~
rjanoch
As PG wrote - persistence is key
([http://www.paulgraham.com/really.html](http://www.paulgraham.com/really.html)).
Resources (runway, personal savings) can let you outlast the competition or
exist long enough to let the industry you are changing/creating catch up to
your innovation.

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powera
I don't like how the article makes it seem like "self-sacrifice" is the _only_
thing necessary for a successful founder. If you have a terrible idea, or
terrible execution, it doesn't matter how much of your money and your time and
your _life_ you put in to the startup, it's still going to fail miserably.

There is no magic road to a successful startup, not even by cutting off your
own arm (hopefully in a metaphorical sense).

