How to Balance Passion and Reality in Startups

Startup founders need inordinate amounts of passion to succeed. Passion is the self-created drug that inspires startup founders to press on during tough times. Since the startup roller coaster goes from incredible highs to suicidal lows in a matter of moments, it’s important to leverage passion as a driving force. But when is there too much passion?

It’s absolutely possible to be too passionate. Startup founders get blinded by their passion all the time. Passion blinds us to reality.

Passion impairs our judgment. When things aren’t going well, and money is running out, startup founders have to make tough decisions about staff. Who do we fire? When do we fire them? How many employees do we fire? Passion delays tough decision-making. Compassion too.

That’s bad.

Passion compels us to launch startups and build products even if we’re not ready. Founders often say, “I’m doing it. No matter what. I’m building this thing.” Oh ya? Why? Are you sure you’re solving a super-painful problem? Have you validated anything with anyone?

Startups can’t succeed on passion alone. Startups are built in the current reality of our times (with an eye to the future.) Startups succeed with validated markets, a focus on key metrics, super strong teams, co-founders that get along, aligned investors, active customer service, etc. Startups can’t escape those realities.

When founders recognize the importance of focusing on metrics, markets, business models, user acquisition strategies, etc. — things based in reality — and they can successfully overlay an absurd level of passion on top, to drive their initiatives and intensity, they can succeed. That’s the balance. Passion driving reality. Sometimes passion pushes us past reality, and that’s fine, but we still need to find a balance.

Don’t lose your passion. But don’t let it blind you either.

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June 10, 2010 Posted in Startups by Ben Yoskovitz

Pingback: Misplaced Passion is Common for Early Stage Entrepreneurs
http://throughput.us/ consultski

Interesting post Ben. However, I do not believe that “balance” is the correct word choice for this example. We most often talk of balance in things that give us a sense of “one or the other” like hot or cold, fast or slow. Not always opposites, but often.

Passion and reality do not seem to be items that contend with one another for focus. For me, passion might need balance against the “I'll just phone it in” approach. Yes, leaders of startups must use the throttle appropriately on passion. But it is not reality that should serve as the dashboard for that decision. IMNSHO.

Why the distinction? Because I suggest (very often) that we must not seek “balance” in the short term. We must take action. However, many times that action is NOT making a decision or NOT implementing a decision that others might consider necessary. For me, taking action might be leaving the building for quick jaunt around town on my vRod. Or re-reading a book that holds valuable insight into the challenge before me, in advance of committing time or valuable (and sparse) resources.

Yes, “reality” (and the items you list like “key metrics”) is very important. But often overrated. As Guy Kawasaki says, “Everything is impossible. Right up until the moment the entrepreneur makes it happen.” So there is a lot to be said for charging ahead when reality might paint a distorted picture of what success might look like.

Just my warped view from this side of the 49th Parallel. From someone who has observed a much bigger problem from startups doing too little (rather than too much)…

-ski

P.S. In fact, I feel so strongly about “balance” that I made it an “Insight” in my book:

PURPLE CURVE INSIGHT #2
Do not seek “balance” in the short term.
Seek momentum first.
Make something happen!

http://is.gd/cLlpy/balance
http://www.instigatorblog.com Benjamin Yoskovitz

I don't see balance in this case as being opposites – it's more about the right mix, a healthy mix of things — passion and realism. It's not that one contends for focus over the other, it's that passion blinds us to what's really going on, and that's dangerous.

Understandably, without entrepreneurs forging ahead, being brave + bold, we wouldn't have many of the advances we do today. And some things are just very difficult to validate. But I see too many young entrepreneurs with blinders on, pumped full of passion that think their passion + pure determination are enough to succeed. And they're not.
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Passion and reality do not seem to be items that contend with one another for focus. For me, passion might need balance against the “I'll just phone it in” approach. Yes, leaders of startups must use the throttle appropriately on passion. But it is not reality that should serve as the dashboard for that decision. IMNSHO.
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Great article. I am an accountant and see the majority of start-ups fail in the first year. Most I see have pleanty of passion in what they are doing but need a reality check!
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Pingback: How to Balance Passion and Reality in Startups « Seckman Business Network

Ben Yoskovitz

I'm VP Product at GoInstant.

I'm also a Founding Partner at Year One Labs, an early stage accelerator in Montreal. Previously I founded Standout Jobs (and sold it).

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