Startups Grow Through Failures

Shaan Puri reflects on how success patterns in startups and personal life often follow a non-linear path of repeated failures followed by a single big win, rather than steady incremental progress.

Key Points:

• Dating Life Parallels Startup Journey:

  • "My dating life was a lot like my startup life - fail fail fail fail fail home run"
  • Contrasts with traditional career progression of steady 10% annual raises

• Traditional Career Path:

  • Linear progression
  • Steady, predictable growth
  • Regular small improvements (like 10% raises yearly)

• Startup/Entrepreneurial Path:

  • Non-linear progression
  • Long periods of struggle or loss
  • "Making nothing or in debt or broke for 7-8 years"
  • Sudden breakthrough to wealth
  • Pattern repeats in different areas of life

• Personal Example:

  • Dating life followed same pattern
  • "I was broke for like 10 years and then all of a sudden I was rich"
  • Success came as a single breakthrough rather than gradual improvement

• Key Insight:

  • Success often comes as a step function rather than a smooth curve
  • Need to endure extended periods of apparent failure
  • Big wins can make up for multiple previous failures
  • Pattern applies beyond just business to personal life domains

This perspective suggests that entrepreneurs should be prepared for and accept long periods without visible progress, knowing that success often comes as a sudden breakthrough rather than steady improvements.