There will not be a single week between now and Thanksgiving week that I’m not on a plane at least once. And I’ve come to realize it’s not like things are going to slow down dramatically after that. As a startup, being busy is a good problem to have. It means you’re moving (in our case, definitely forward). But having so much on my schedule already, means that I’m having to say no to things that I might have felt I should attend in the past – events, conferences, speaking invitations. I try to do as many as I can, but I so far lack the ability to be in two places at once (any startup that can make that a reality is a billion-dollar unicorn right there).
A couple of years ago, that might have stressed me out. There are so many investor events, networking sessions, conferences, etc. that are billed as “can’t miss.” But you know what? There’s no such thing as “can’t miss.” No matter how many times you see the tagline, “If you only attend one event, this one should be it.” The reality is there is no one event that will make all the difference. If there was, it would make an entrepreneur’s life much easier.
There are probably stories (more likely myths) floating around Silicon Valley about how a company when to an event and met a billionaire, who cut them a check on the spot for their amazing idea.
But in actual life, that’s not how I’ve ever known it to work.
Instead, it’s a matter of going to lots of things and meeting lots of people. Often, it’s meeting lots of people lots of times. It’s about showing progress. It’s about demonstrating that you’re sticking around (we’ve seen a lot of people come and go in the short span that 7 Generation Games has been in existence). And because we know we’ll be around in a few weeks, a few months, at this point, a few years (ideally much longer), I don’t worry about missing out on meetings I can’t attend. Because if I’ve learned anything as an entrepreneur, it’s there is not one single event you have to attend or a single investor that you have to meet that will make or break your company. Success is never based on just one thing.
Great read, to which this applies to a lot of different goals in life! It is never just one thing, they are a steps toward the ultimate goal that you want to achieve!
Just like chess, it’s all about persistence and making choices that would open up more opportunities instead of constraining them in the future. Good post, and I look forward to seeing the company grow!