I think it was Woody Allen who said 90% of life is about showing up. It's a phrase that I think of a lot both on days when I dread doing something and after a day that went badly
I made the statement years ago which is often quoted that 80 percent of life is showing up. People used to always say to me that they wanted to write a play, they wanted to write a movie, they wanted to write a novel, and the couple of people that did it were 80 percent of the way to having something happen. All the other people struck out without ever getting that pack. They couldn’t do it, that’s why they don’t accomplish a thing, they don’t do the thing, so once you do it, if you actually write your film script, or write your novel, you are more than half way towards something good happening. So that I was say my biggest life lesson that has worked. All others have failed me.
I was thinking about this the other day. 99% of people don't even realize you can start a software company. 99% of the people that do know you can don't even try. 99% of the people that do try give up to early, change their mind, don't get committed etc.
Just being in that final 1% is no guarantee of success, but it sure as hell is ahead of the other guys.
Unless of course you're not suited for it, and you lose out due to the opportunity costs of all the money you could have been making as a salaried employee elsewhere in the time you were barely getting by with a startup.