Founders are expected to perform under pressure, iterate on the fly, and fail fast. But is that ethos doing more harm than good?
Something is happening to the start-up culture—and I’m not sure I like what it’s doing to me. For a couple of years now, one of the core start-up mantras has been “release early and release often“—or, even more pithy, “fail fast.”
There’s nothing wrong with this idea on the face of it. But combine it with the romanticized notion of working day and night narrowly focused on your start-up, and you have an entrepreneurial culture that’s fast-paced on a whole new level. Most days, this is exciting and it is what’s required to keep up with the pace of innovation in the tech community. But more and more, I’m starting to think that the constant pressure to go-go-go may be killing more organisations than it’s helping.
Where ‘Aha’ Moments Really Come From
I’ve been reading Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer. In the book, Lehrer explores everything from neuroscience to anthropology to uncover the mystical nuances behind those “aha” moments. How do entrepreneurs break through creativity blocks and come up with brilliant ideas and solutions? Contrary to the prevailing start-up culture, creativity doesn’t usually come easy or fast.
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.