Entrepreneurship is rugby

I studied entrepreneurship in college because the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is start a businesses. Some disruptions happen by accident, some are inevitable- but I wanted to reshape an industry with intention.

I’ll admit it was (and still is) a lofty goal, but with the rise of PayPal, Uber, Airbnb and the like- it didn’t seem impossible. Make no mistake- every professor I had and every advisor I spoke with talked ad nauseam about the high startup failure rate, how hard it is to get traction, and how little funding is available for first time founders. One thing that was never mentioned, however, was what I have since found to be the key to startup success.

Academia is a solo sport

I can’t speak for programs or universities other than mine- but it is generally held knowledge that one starts and finishes college alone. The majority of the work completed toward the “holy grail” that is the degree- is done alone. Yes, there are group projects and assignments but aside from a few outliers- these collaborative efforts are means to an end rather than a team building exercise.

Entrepreneurship is rugby

If you’ve never played rugby you can insert any team sport in as substitution. But, I chose ruby instead of say.. football.. because in football, if need be, the quarterback can simply throw the ball all the way down the field to a player who can catch it and make a touchdown. If all goes perfectly, two people can get the job done. In rugby, however, you can only pass the ball backward. So, you must run slightly ahead of the pack and then flip the ball back to a teammate who must then accelerate with the ball and pass it back to another player. This cycle continues until the entire team has forced the ball across the goal line. Not only is it an total team endeavor, but it takes all of the group’s blood, sweat, strength, and perseverance to get the ball to the finish line.

The Gap

When I graduated I thought I finally had everything I needed to build my empire. Credibility from my degree, some connections from my network, a good…