"I never saved anything for the swim back"

Also, I have my own anecdote.<p>I worked my tail off for a year in China. I had two other founders/partners back in N. America -- I was the only one on-the-ground, and I was also the youngest &#38; most inexperienced.<p>I basically stayed there until I was physically, mentally, and emotionally sick. I was living in my office and had no salary (expenses covered, nothing more), a tough schedule (mornings &#38; evenings needed to get back in touch w/ N. America), my first experience in management (6 staff or so), and had almost zero encouragement from my partners, because our expenses only increased with time as we realized what we were <i>really</i> getting in to (China is not exactly WYSIWYG when it comes to business) -- and I had no contact with the main decision-maker, who was the only person with any real experience in what we were doing (for political reasons I had to go through founder #2 to get to founder-investor#1).<p>I was literally stressed out of my mind. I lost a good portion of my short-term memory (until I quit). I could no longer predict what I was able to do in the future -- no ability to manage my own commitments &#38; performance. Forgot why I wanted to live. Took up smoking.<p>I kept going as long as I did because I believed in the value of "sheer persistence". I wish I'd taken more drastic action sooner.<p>My experience was probably not typical, and so it's probably not worth drawing generalizations from it. But -- I'm incredibly glad that I quit. Today I'm learning new things and I'm happy to be alive -- I feel like a vibrant human being again. And I'm still excited about startups... but not to the point of self-destruction.

My thoughts on this matter were summed up today by Marc Andreessen:<p><i>In my view, entrepreneurial judgment is the ability to tell the difference between a situation that's not working but persistence and iteration will ultimately prove it out, versus a situation that's not working and additional effort is a destructive waste of time and radical change is necessary.</i><p><i>I don't believe there are any good rules for being able to tell the difference between the two. Which is one of the main reasons starting a company is so hard.</i>

Reminds me a little of the metaphor that starting a business is like jumping out of an airplane with the materials needed to build a parachute.

Watch "pumping Iron" - an old documentary following Arnold Schwarzenegger on his quest to become Mr. Universe. Besides the absolute hilarity of seeing a young Arnold pumping his muscles you get a glimpse of why he won mr. universe 6 times, became one of the greatest actors of Hollywood despite the obvious lack of talent, and is now Governor of California.<p>He is so determined that you won't believe it. So he wins.

I liked that quote, too, but at the same time I was wondering if it isn't complete bullshit. In the real world, the guy would simply have drowned.<p>Maybe it was just another brainwashing attempt by Hollywood (American values bla bla yadda yadda).

Rick Little. 155 grant proposals turned down. Stubbornness paid off. Eventually awarded second-largest-ever grant in US History ($65M)<p>This reads sort-of like an underdog movie...<p>"Rick had one last chance. Activated by desperation and conviction, he managed to talk himself past several secretaries and he secured a lunch date with Dr. Russ Mawby, President of the Kellogg Foundation..."<p><a href="http://www.iyfnet.org/section.cfm/2/242/545" rel="nofollow">http://www.iyfnet.org/section.cfm/2/242/545</a><p>"Rick Little’s life is a testament to the power of commitment to a high vision, coupled with a willingness to keep on asking until one manifests the dream."<p>Yes, from Chicken Soup from the Soul

This reminds of me the archetype of the 'hero's journey', best described by Joseph Campbell. Which basically perfectly underlines why successful enrepreneurs are considered our contemporary heroes. Fighting against impressive odds with limited resources and little to no regard for one's own safety? Sounds pretty heroic to me...<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey</a>

As someone that's done a modest amount of swimming, that's a horrible metaphor. If you don't pace yourself, there's no way you'll win a race.

<i>These questions are very profound, Mr Dedalus, said the dean. It is like looking down from the cliffs of Moher into the depths. Many go down into the depths and never come up. Only the trained diver can go down into those depths and explore them and come to the surface again.</i> -James Joyce, "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"

I just saw that movie for the first time the other night! Great film, great quote!

I'd rather get warmed up in a wading pool (day job) and then go for broke.