There are two types of leaders: those who thrive through war and hardship (like Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln) and those that excel during peace & prosperity (Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher). And generally, there is almost no overlap between the two, which makes sense. The thing is, this dichotomy doesn’t only apply to politics...
Outside of raising a child, there is almost nothing harder than founding and leading a successful startup, especially for solo founders. Turning an idea into a product and a business is quite a challenge. Scaling that business is still harder. And then there’s building and managing a team, fighting off competitors and possibly even fundraising....
Growing up, I played sports… lots of them. I loved basketball and soccer, and my dad always coached our teams. It was the best… At the same time, it didn’t last. I quickly reached a level (and age) where his expertise and knowledge were outclassed by the players he was coaching. I’d reached the ‘ceiling’...