Why are startups hard? Because we are afraid.

Video Segment: 12:00-14:10

We are afraid of:

• Failure - this fear is particularly salient, because the startup you are doing is likely to fail. It is a rational fear.
• Letting other people down - People have invested their lives or their money into what you are doing. This is a reality and a big stress. Is it okay if you let them down? What if you mapped out the worst case scenario of how failure might impact you? It probably isn’t as bad as the fear might make it seem.
• Becoming broke - We may fear that we’ll be penniless or stuck to low wage jobs forever. This doesn’t appear to be a fear based in reason.

As entrepreneurs, we need to realize that failure is normal. We need not be afraid of failure. If you were afraid of flying, I would use a desensitization protocol with you. We’d look at an airplane and take deep breaths so you can relax (you can’t be both anxious and relaxed at the same time). Next, we’d go to the airport and take deep breaths while looking at planes take off. Then, we’d go on and off a plane, while also being relaxed. Next, we’d take a short flight and then a long flight. Being relaxed at each of these steps breaks the anxiety or fear from the plane. At the end of this process you’d no longer be afraid of flying. We need to do the same thing with failure.

Reflection: Can you begin to open up to the possibility of failure? Can you allow it to become conscious so that you can become more aware? Notes