According to Paul Graham of YC, Determination is the most critical predictor of startup success. When Paul says it it must have something to do with startup success. To build a successful company you need more than one thing. The journey is, according to Ben Horowitz, excruciating. Most people would predict most talented people win this game. It is an act of pure genius. And yes, it sounds logical and people want to believe it because it is plausible. Once we look at any success story we talk about the intelligence and capacity of founders. However, informed intellectuals beg to differ. Stories of success are seldom like as they seem from outside wrote Malcolm Gladwell in his beautiful book Outliers: Stories Of Success. It is more often a story of opportunities, hard work and long hours. Success happens in the long haul. Sam Altman of YC said it well: it takes at least 10 years to build a company that is worth building. All these facts prove one thing: startup successes are all about determination.
[blockquote source="Paul Graham"]In most domains, talent is overrated compared to determination—partly because it makes a better story, partly because it gives onlookers an excuse for being lazy, and partly because after a while determination starts to look like talent.[/blockquote]
However, when determination is so important for building a company can we understand it a little deeper, can we see whether we can cultivate determination in ourselves? Paul Graham asked the same questions and put together a brilliant essay called the anatomy of determination. Following infographic, by Funders and Founders, is inspired by Paul's essay on determination. It sheds light on components of determination and how they interacts.
