The question is should you be trying this in the first place?
Did you know its actually more likely you will survive a plane crash than have a successful startup exit? Now, would you still hop in a plane you know its going to crash?
With that logic you should, chances are you will survive, maybe.
The question is should you be trying this in the first place?
Here's how I'd approach this scenario:
Did you know its actually more likely you will survive a plane crash than have a successful startup exit?
First, I'm not actually convinced that this is true at all, but let's go with it for the sake of argument...
Now, would you still hop in a plane you know its going to crash?
Since we're working with analogies here, I'll say "yes". Why? Because continuing to work a routine, corporate 9-5 job, is such a mind-numbing, soul-sucking, draining life of desperation, that - by analogy - it's about equivalent to "remaining in the burning building, on the 99th floor, surrounded by flames, falling beams, and smoke" versus "get on the airplane that might rescue you, but will probably just crash".
So, get on the airplane (or start the startup) and at least have a chance at living, or keep the corporate job (stay in the burning building) and consciously choose death.
Of course this is all somewhat subjective. Not everybody will agree that the soul-sucking corporate bureaucratic world is analogous to death. But for some people, with certain personality types, biases, whatever, it is.
It is, it has been done, statistically when it comes to financial success America is fast becoming one of the countries where its most unlikely to go from rags to riches.
Its not a lie, its big data crunching the numbers that are out there, and those numbers say if you are poor you are most likely going to end poor, or perhaps dirt poor.
Yeah my mistake I shouldn't have used "rags to riches" since no country has ever had as a statistical point.
No, what I meant which is what you are talking about is "upward mobility" and that is exactly what is going down in America: the plausibility of reaching a higher economical status than the one you were born in to, not necessarily becoming a millionaire.
That was the American Dream, and right now the average American has the same chances of upward mobility than the average citizen of a third world country.
These stories are everywhere, is like the one about the guy who bought a porsche for spare change because the seller was the owner's ex-wife and wanted to piss her ex off.
You do know that was a coincidence right? or even a miracle given how well things ended up. Has the uber guy been a little pissed or in a bad mood the results could have been drastically different, and yet your blog-worthy suggestion is to take a leap of faith and see if it works.
Who cares, we are telling unexperienced, unprepared and even untalented kids to quit school and launch a "startup", whatever that means now.
The point is to take the risk. Sometimes you'll find the person in the bad mood, but sometimes, just sometimes, it works, and when it does, it works great. And you don't need to share w/ the world the 5 other people you tried it on who weren't feeling serendipitous that day.
It is not important how unlikely are the odds. What's important is to be prepared when the chance does present itself and that requires talent and years of training.
So I think you misread the narrative, it's not about striking gold.
The question is should you be trying this in the first place?
Did you know its actually more likely you will survive a plane crash than have a successful startup exit? Now, would you still hop in a plane you know its going to crash?
With that logic you should, chances are you will survive, maybe.