In my experience as a 4-time entrepreneur and numerous-time advisor, I’ve learned that building a successful team, startup, or company takes many pieces coming together to make the magic happen; yet there are a couple of personal growth points every leader must pass through to push through the struggle of starting anything novel or new.
These aren’t just clichés—they’re hard-earned truths that have helped me launch multiple companies, launch a bunch of products and cofound Nobody Studios, where we aim to build 100 startups in the next five years.
Whether you’re a founder starting out, an executive scaling your business or an investor looking to get behind a bold venture, these points will guide you through the chaos and challenges related to the personal and professional struggle of uncertainty when innovating.
1. If You Do Not Go After What You Want, You’ll Never Have It
Startups don’t just happen. They require intentional action and relentless pursuit.
When I helped start my first company, The Games Kitchen, we didn’t wait for the perfect time or ideal market conditions. We went after what we wanted, knowing that if we didn’t take action, someone else would.
In the early 2000s mobile phones were starting to connect to the Internet and be able to talk to one another. We built a game to leverage Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), the new technology that enabled phone connectivity. The game was much like Tamagotchi called Wireless Pets where people would keep their little pet alive by feeding it, walking it and talking to it. It exploded.
We didn’t know much about the technology, which was terrible. We didn’t know if there was a market, which turned out to be massive. Yet we had a hunch and backed ourselves to go for it. Next thing you know we had Sony, SEGA and Disney calling us to build games for them.
Whether it’s a bold product vision, a competitive market entry, or a moonshot idea, you have to chase it before someone else does.
By 2030, 70% of new value created in the economy will be based on digitally enabled platforms like AI, machine learning, and cloud technology, adding $15.7 trillion to the global economy.
There’s really never been a better time to test your ideas or go after what you want to do. Position yourself as a leader in your niche. Go after your vision with determination, stop dreaming, and start executing.
Don’t wait for permission to build your startup. Go after what you want, if you don’t you’ll never get it.
2. If You Don’t Ask, the Answer is Always No
The second rule has been vital in my entrepreneurial journey: if you don’t ask for what you need, you’ll never get it.
Startups are resource-hungry machines, and founders who are afraid to ask for funding, partnerships, or advice often find themselves stuck.
One of the biggest challenges founders face is fundraising. According to Crunchbase, less than 1% of startups receive venture capital funding. It’s tough. But the founders who succeed are the ones who don’t shy away from asking—whether it’s for seed funding, a strategic introduction, or access to key mentors.
Learning To Ask is one of the most important skills you need to develop in personal and professional life.
I’ve seen this firsthand at Nobody Studios, early-stage founders often hesitate to ask for what they need because they fear rejection or think they need to have everything figured out. But that’s not how the startup ecosystem works. Most successful founders I know didn’t have all the answers—they just had the courage to ask for help, iterate, and grow.
For example, when we launched **FinTech Startup X** (anonymized for confidentiality), the founder initially struggled with securing partnerships. But once they started asking for introductions and pitching the potential value of their solution, doors began to open. Strategic partnerships with key financial institutions not only unlocked revenue but also gave them credibility in a crowded market.
Famously Steve Jobs learnt to ask from the age 12. Jobs was working on a school project involving frequency counters and needed some parts. He looked up Bill Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the phone book, cold-called him, and directly asked for the specific parts he needed.
To Jobs’ surprise, Hewlett not only answered but was impressed by the young boy’s initiative. After a friendly conversation, Hewlett agreed to send Jobs the parts he requested. He even offered him a summer job at HP, working on the assembly line in the factory where HP built frequency counters.
This experience at HP was pivotal for Jobs. It gave him early exposure to Silicon Valley’s tech culture, where he learned hands-on about electronics and got to work alongside engineers. The job also sparked Jobs’ fascination with technology and product design, eventually fueling his drive to co-found Apple with Steve Wozniak just a few years later.
Jobs’ boldness and willingness to ask for what he needed became hallmarks of his approach as he grew into a business leader and innovator.
Never underestimate the power of asking for what you want. The worst someone can say is “no”—but more often than not, people are willing to help, invest, or connect if they believe in your vision.
3. If You Do Not Step Forward, Then You Will Always Be in the Same Place
Startups or any new innovation are a constant battle against inertia. The fear of failure, lack of resources, and uncertainty about market fit can keep you paralyzed in one place.
But the only way to build something great is to step forward—again and again, even when you’re unsure.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been there; wondering about how to make it happen—get the team aligned, make a tough decision that’ll impact a lot of people or thoughts about how I’d be perceived by others leading to hesitation.
In startup life, inaction is the killer. I’ve made promising ideas stall and see talented founders stall because they hesitated. We want more data, more resources, more validation. The truth is, you’ll *never* have perfect conditions to move forward. But if you wait, someone else will take that leap.
Any new innovation will face challenges; be that regulatory hurdles and market resistance early on. Too many teams missed opportunities and waited for everything to align perfectly before launching.
Instead step forward, launch an MVP while refining your model through real-world feedback. That decision to move rather than stall often leads to significant early traction and product-market fit within months.
Industry research shows that startups with a bias for action and quick iteration are more likely to survive beyond the critical five-year mark. The lesson? Taking one step forward—even if it’s not perfect—is always better than standing still.
[Bonus Truth] The Struggle Is What It Says on the Tin, You Simply Have to Embrace the Uncertainty
“The Struggle is when you wonder why you started the company in the first place.
The Struggle is when people ask you why you don’t quit and you don’t know the answer.
The Struggle is when your employees think you are lying and you think they may be right.
The Struggle is when food loses its taste.
The Struggle is when you don’t believe you should be CEO of your company. The Struggle is when you know that you are in over your head and you know that you cannot be replaced. The Struggle is when everybody thinks you are an idiot, but nobody will fire you. The Struggle is where self-doubt becomes self-hatred.
The Struggle is when you are having a conversation with someone and you can’t hear a word that they are saying because all you can hear is The Struggle.
The Struggle is when you want the pain to stop. The Struggle is unhappiness.
The Struggle is when you go on vacation to feel better and you feel worse.
The Struggle is when you are surrounded by people and you are all alone. The Struggle has no mercy.
The Struggle is the land of broken promises and crushed dreams. The Struggle is a cold sweat. The Struggle is where your guts boil so much that you feel like you are going to spit blood.
The Struggle is not failure, but it causes failure. Especially if you are weak. Always if you are weak.
Most people are not strong enough.
Every great entrepreneur from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg went through The Struggle and struggle they did, so you are not alone. But that does not mean that you will make it. You may not make it. That is why it is The Struggle.
The Struggle is where greatness comes from.”
― Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers [one of my favorite leadership books, after the introduction chapters which aren’t that exciting]
The Struggle is where we turn uncertainty into opportunity; one of my core principles.
To create opportunity and grab it you have to act, not wait and see what happens.
Conclusion: These Three Rules Build Companies
Whether you’re an aspiring founder or seasoned executive or long-time investor, I’m sure these simple points will resonate — go after what you want, ask for what you need, and keep stepping forward.
Every startup I’ve launched—successful or not—has followed these principles. They are what helped me write bestsellers like *Unlearn* and *Lean Enterprise*, and they’re what continue to guide us at *Nobody Studios* as we build the next generation of startups.
In the startup world, opportunities don’t come to you—you have to chase them. You won’t get what you need unless you ask. And if you don’t keep moving, you’ll get left behind.
So, what are you waiting for? Take that first step. Go after your vision. The world is waiting for the bold.