It is not just luck and talent. Think about "positioning"!

“90 percent of life is just showing up”
- Woody Allen

A debate always rages in the startup community: “are the successful people more talented than others, or have they just been luckier?”

Successful people usually point to talent…they tell stories of unbelievable execution, insight, and clever pivots from great entrepreneurs who they feel would have succeeded under any circumstances.  Many of those founders go on to multiple successes.

Team Luck points to people they know who are wealthy and successful but just can’t seem to get anything done.  They must have stumbled onto the right idea at the right time, caught a wave, got someone to overpay for their company, and laughed all of the way to the bank.  People say, “geez, if he could have done that, I could have.”

In a debate like this you can either pick a side or split the difference with an “it depends.”  Instead of doing that, I’ll propose a third option:  I’ll call it “positioning.”  I will illustrate by changing the topic to cyclocross.

Cyclocross is an awesome sport.  The races take place on short, technical, off-road loops.  A hundred riders crowd onto the course elbow-to-elbow.  They navigate turns, drops, grass, dirt, rocks, sand, hills, stairs, and hurdles where one must jump off of the bike, throw it over your shoulder, jump the barrier, then jump back on.  The races are a blast:  you have to be alert every second to avoid wrecks, plan your lines, focus on passing other riders, and put down the gas when you have an opportunity to gain position.  Here’s a pretty good video:

I’m a triathlete, so I’m best at riding a time trial bike fast, alone, on the road, in a straight line.  Technique is an afterthought.  But in cyclocross, skill is as important as power.  A “power” rider may gain position on a hill or open straightaway, but as soon as they hit the mud, single track, sand, gravel, and barriers, the “skill” riders pass and are never to be seen again  

Last year in my first few races, I finished near the back of the pack, working up to mid pack by the end of the season (in the lowest division).  I did well on courses that rewarded strength, but I’d lose time on the technical stuff, where I’d watch less fit riders work their way around the course, never seeming to miss a turn, brake, crash, or lose momentum at all. 

“Are the winners stronger than us, or more skilled?” is the question in cyclocross.  My lack of skill put me at the back of the pack last year, but this year, the season just ended, and I placed fifth overall in the same series!  How did I do it?  My strength did not change from last year, so I must have increased my skill, right?  Or maybe it was something else.  Consider this:

• The Bay Area Super Prestige series gives points for each of 5 races.  You need to show up at each race in the series to have a chance to finish near the top for the series.
• Starting near the front of the pack is a huge advantage since riders start to pile up when you hit the turns and single track.  I showed up early for my wave, got near the front, and stayed there.  And after you rise up high in the season rankings, the race organizers seed you at the front to start the race.
• Getting to know the course before the race can shave valuable seconds.  I showed up early most race days and got several practice laps in, even doing multiple passes over tricky sections.
• I positioned myself near the top riders, remembered their numbers, and tried to keep them in sight and track them during the race.
• I focused on my positioning on the bike, around corners, and relative to other riders to minimize crashes and increase speed.
• I showed up in my garage early each race day to get my bike tuned up and in top shape for the day.
• I showed up in the park or Marin headlands at least three times a week for tough rides and practicing technique.
• I joined a team of great guys: we learned a ton from each other, had fun, and enjoyed the camaraderie.

So, I showed up, and the results came.  Sure, there are some better riders out there who could have beat me if they showed up.  But you know what?  They didn’t.  And did some of these things help build strength and speed?  Yes.  But the point is that anyone could have done them.  (Note: next year I’ll move up to the next division, be down in the pack, and the showing-up cycle will begin again!)

Let’s translate this to startups.  The successful folks I know can say this:

• They showed up…they started a company or joined a company early in their career.  Then did it again.  And again.  
• They were always positioned with great teams.  They found and followed great people and looked for opportunities to work with them.  
• They worked hard on their professional reputation: ensuring they performed well and built great relationships with anyone they worked with…they ended up positioned with many of the same people again and again.
• They took pay cuts and lateral moves when necessarily to get positioned into a great company, knowing that title and comp would work themselves out eventually.
• If they found themselves in companies with weak management or poor market positions, they wrapped up their commitments then moved onto better positions.
• They positioned into sectors that were ready for growth.  At the next company, they often picked a new one given that most sectors are not “hot” for more than a few years. 

In other words, they showed up and positioned themselves in great companies, great markets, with other great entrepreneurs, built relationships, learned, and ran like crazy.

The positioning helped them build skills.  And yes it put them into a better position to benefit from luck.  But the skills and luck would not have mattered without the positioning.

Not everyone has equal skills nor equal luck.  But anyone can show up and get into position.

 

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