Security

I was talking to my mentee today. It’s funny how the relationship started as he reached out to me for mentorship a couple of years ago. For the longest time, it was me giving advice, guiding him but now, the script has somewhat flipped. I ask his advice more than he does. I seek out his opinion and some days (today was one of them), I learn a lot from him. Cue the saying when the student becomes the master.

We talked about startups where he said how he would not invest in a startup founded by a new grad. Meanwhile I was thinking it takes guts and a sense of security to start a company at 22. I couldn’t do such a thing right out of college. I don’t think I can even do it now because I still don’t have a secure base required to go after such things.

Risks are essential to achieving anything you desire but even more essential is a cushion that protects you when you fall. What’s the worst that could happen? If the worst is — you could go bankrupt, would be evicted, would have to self deport then the equation changes. Then risks are not your friend and you need to be more calculated.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote about this in his book Outliers. He says success isn’t just a function of individual grit and talent but a culmination of advantages such as financial support, opportunities, freedom etc. I read the book many years ago so I don’t remember much but I think he’s certainly right on that one.

Start up founders generally have something in common — security. The answer to the question what’s the worst that could happen is not that dire. Of course the level of risk is not the same for everyone but this one bit is certainly true. If the worst isn’t really that bad, one could risk it. Good things lie on the other side.