The biggest connection I see between body builders and entrepreneurs is discipline and ambition. Deciding that you're going to maximize your body's potential is quite similar (in spirit) to deciding to maximize your earning potential.
I think body building is about 100x easier though. Unless you're aiming for a pro card, there's really no uncertainty to deal with. That's the toughest part of entrepreneurship. There is no formula for success. Imagine exercising and eating according to a plan for 3 years and then ending up obese.
That last part was actually quite funny. The no formula for success is a pretty tough fact to swallow no doubt. Knowing which direction to swim in is tough. So for most comparisons between the two, entrepreneurship will be the hardest to find success.
To be honest I think the "no formula for success" thing is the reason why entrepreneurship can still command such outsize rewards for the amount of work put in. People don't like the uncertainty and will hence shy away from being an entrepreneur.
Exactly. Anyone willing to spend enough hours in the gym will end up having a much better-looking body than his peers, or at least ten times better than he would if he wasn't a bodybuilder. An entrepreneur who puts in hours of hard work can easily end up financially worse off than his non-entrepreneur friends.
After reading a dozen or so entrepreneur stories, I've come to the conclusion that luck and connections were the most important factors in their success [citation needed], and bodybuilders don't need any of them.
Luck boils down to hard work ultimately as the more you work on something the more chances you have to get a lucky break.
Connections, similarly, are related to how hard you're working; the fact that you're working really hard is unusual enough that people are likely to see some value in connecting you, and the more you're doing stuff and putting yourself out there the more people you encounter, some of whom will be worthwhile connections.
I do not know about entrepreneurs, but just cursory look at this confirmed my long held belief that body builders are narcissistic ass-holes. I mean who would brag about their ability to steal someone else's girlfriend.
Hrm. I'm a skinny insecure geek who sucked at dating, so my business must be doomed.
Really, I understand where he's coming from but there's more types of entrepreneurs than the macho asshole. Sure, persistence and wits are a common trait, but there's really only one requirement for being a successful entrepreneur: You have to be able to get people to give you money.
There's a thousand ways to do it, and it's not some kind of special exclusive club that requires a particular personality type. Frankly, I'm a little tired of the "This is what makes an entrepreneur" posts. It's self-indulgent and distracts from the real goal, which is generating cashflow.
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I think body building is about 100x easier though. Unless you're aiming for a pro card, there's really no uncertainty to deal with. That's the toughest part of entrepreneurship. There is no formula for success. Imagine exercising and eating according to a plan for 3 years and then ending up obese.
Connections, similarly, are related to how hard you're working; the fact that you're working really hard is unusual enough that people are likely to see some value in connecting you, and the more you're doing stuff and putting yourself out there the more people you encounter, some of whom will be worthwhile connections.
Really, I understand where he's coming from but there's more types of entrepreneurs than the macho asshole. Sure, persistence and wits are a common trait, but there's really only one requirement for being a successful entrepreneur: You have to be able to get people to give you money.
There's a thousand ways to do it, and it's not some kind of special exclusive club that requires a particular personality type. Frankly, I'm a little tired of the "This is what makes an entrepreneur" posts. It's self-indulgent and distracts from the real goal, which is generating cashflow.