In this text, we proceed our dive into ancient wisdom applied to a contemporary startup context by … [+]
Although ancient Greek philosophy isn’t the very first thing that involves mind if you think of contemporary tech startups, during your startup journey you’ll find that a big a part of your struggles are related to your personal character and usually are not that unique to modernity. A few of the very best advice on the topic is one which has withstood the test of centuries.
In this text, we proceed our dive into ancient wisdom applied to a contemporary startup context by exploring 10 quotes from 4 famous Ancient Greek philosophers.
1. Plato Quotes
“The worst of all deceptions is self-deception.”
Self-deception is usually a detrimental pitfall for startup founders. For this reason the key to success in early-stage startups often lies in validating your personal ideas and assumptions before investing resources into constructing an actual business.
“For a person to overcome himself is the primary and noblest of all victories.”
As mentioned earlier, most of your struggles as a founder could be related to your personal character. You’d have to seek out the strength to push yourself to do the things that you recognize must be done despite being outside of your comfort zone.
2. Aristotle Quotes
“We’re what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is just not an act, but a habit.”
Success doesn’t come from occasional bouts of inspiration and keenness. It comes from putting in excellent work day in and day trip.
Through continuous learning, refining skills, and embracing a growth mindset, you may create a foundation for long-term success. Is your average day something that will lead you to success in case you repeat it indefinitely?
“You won’t ever do anything on this world without courage. It’s the best quality of the mind next to honor.”
Daring to succeed is synonymous with accepting that you just might fail and being OK with bearing these consequences. You would like the courage to face every day the never-ending uncertainties of the lifetime of a startup founder.
“Moral excellence comes about consequently of habit. We develop into just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”
While this quote is concentrated on constructing character (which is entirely applicable to startups), it is usually the way you construct skills. You learn to construct by constructing, to sell by selling, etc.
3. Heraclitus Quotes
“Character is destiny.”
That is one other iteration of the concept with the intention to succeed, it is advisable develop into an individual able to success. Specializing in personal and skilled growth is crucial on your long-term success.
“There’s nothing everlasting except change.”
That is an announcement that it is advisable have fun, because as a startup founder change and volatility are the environment wherein you may out-maneuver and out-smart the established big players available on the market. Without change, there could be no startups. Dealing successfully with considerable changes on this planet is why innovation is required in the primary place.
“Big results require big ambitions.”
Last but not least, it is advisable be comfortable serious about scale. Startup success is sort of often nothing greater than finding small-scale validation for the answer of an issue and scaling it up sustainably to a bigger market.
4. Socrates Quotes
“The technique to gain a great status is to endeavor to be what you desire to seem.”
Since projects come and go, a great status of competence and integrity is crucial on your long-term skilled success, and the startup field isn’t any different.
Don’t sell your integrity for short-term gains. You win on the startup game by with the ability to play for so long as possible, and you wish the support of individuals around you to achieve this.
“An unexamined life is just not price living.”
Finally, it’s price stopping every occasionally to envision the compass and evaluate in case you are on the best track professionally (and personally). Successfully constructing a business from scratch is a particularly difficult task. Ensure you’re doing it for the best reasons and that you just are having fun with the journey, not only coveting the destination.
