Imagine Losing: Would You Still Play?

While it may be an unpopular opinion, I firmly believe that having a clear picture of what failure looks like is as important as having a clear vision of what victory looks like. Hear me out. 

We’ve all got a hero’s journey within us or some kind of lofty, far away goal. It’s only natural to picture and imagine what the ideal outcome would look like. “Oh, my gosh. If this business idea works, we will have a quarter million customers and can reach exit velocity for a five times revenue valuation.” 

Everyone imagines what winning looks like. 

How many folks in that same position also consider, “Okay, so if we have to dissolve this company. Our friendship will likely be ruined, I’ll have no savings, I will enter the competitive finance industry older than nearly every other one of my peers, and will have to sell my car.” Now, I’m not making this point in an effort to drive pessimism. However, there is power in knowing what the consequences look like, too. 

Many people are playing the classic 2021 game: I-Am-My-Own-Personal-Brand-And-I-Can’t-Be-A-Part-Of-Something-Bigger-Than-Myself Contest. It’s a mouthful, but a popular game, nonetheless. We all know what winning that game looks like (SEE: Logan Paul, Khloe Kardashian, etc). But, are we aware of what losing this game looks like?