A Startup CEO Essential: Optimism

Recently I have been chatting with others in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we have been reflecting that, at their core, entrepreneurs must be optimists.

Someone shared the quote in the picture, and I thought it captured the essence of what it takes to be an entrepreneur: an essential optimism.

Let’s break down and reflect on the points in the quote as applied to building a high-potential startup:

• Cynicism isn’t hard. Cynics are inclined to believe the worst in people, thinking that everyone is motivated solely by self-interest and simply to take a jaded view of life. A person with such a personality will find it difficult to exhibit the essential leadership characteristics that inspire followers, which is so fundamental to success in building a startup.
  
  
• Pessimism isn’t hard. Pessimists focus on the downsides, the risks, and the problems. Innovative ideas are innovative because they solve significant problems in new and transformative ways; however, seeing potential and possibility is the opposite of pessimism.
  
  
• Those are some of the easiest human reactions. It is far easier to poke holes in someone else’s idea than to develop your own innovations – as every entrepreneur discovers when talking about their plans and ideas to others in the ecosystem. Others will try to “help” by identifying the weaknesses and challenges, which can be somewhat helpful if delivered constructively or very discouraging. Still, often it comes to feel like negativity is all you hear.

• Optimism is hard. In the face of cynics, skeptics, and pessimists (aka investors, partners, team members, ecosystem members, etc.), sustaining a positive outlook is challenging. Perhaps this is one of the great tests of whether someone has the grit to be an entrepreneur. I remember when I first embarked on my first founding journey, and one of my dear friends and mentors tried hard to talk me out of it. He failed. When I pushed back and said I would do it anyway, he laughed and said that if I had allowed him to talk me out of it, I really should not pursue it. However, since I was not to be dissuaded and hung onto my conviction that we could successfully build a company to solve a significant problem, he instantly converted into my first supporter and willingly incubated my first startup.

• Being a part of the solution is even harder. As my entire blog demonstrates, building a high-potential startup is profoundly challenging, and the odds are against you. However, there is enormous satisfaction in doing something intrinsically hard and building something profoundly valuable that brings significant benefits to some segment of the world. It is worthy for those who have the grit, vision, and optimism to pursue it.
  
  
• I’m optimistic not because I am naïve, but because it’s a hard thing worth doing. Sustaining your optimism and overcoming the hurdles along the way is an essential startup CEO skill. It is a crucial piece of what will allow you to keep solving each and every problem that arises and overcoming every hurdle that emerges until you deliver the value you dream of.
  
  

Note:  I have not been able to find an attribution for the quote in the picture, so if someone knows the source, please let me know so I can update this blog with proper attribution.