The underlying reason a startup is so hard, so strange - and why so many fail - is that you have to figure out what to do. yourself Throughout life, and most of human history, we have been told what to do. Whether it is learning to farm from our parents, learning to hunt and gather from our parents, learning to memorize and behave in school, getting our first job - there's usually a neat playbook on what to do and how to do it. Sometimes, we even face punishments for doing what we are supposed to do. not We become experts at and not . We really should be experts at both. Failing at the latter creates countless consequences. Consider Peter Thiel's story in , where he recounts incessant competition throughout childhood culminating in being hired at the most renown law firm, only to desire nothing more than to leave it promptly (as the others in the firm did). doing figuring out what to do Zero to One Thiel never asked . He never spent time . He followed the playbook, followed others, and simply why figuring out what to do did. When you force yourself to start a startup with a completely new business model, you have to figure out what it is you are going to do. What customer segment is best to start with? What channel is best to activate those customers after Customer #1000? What partnerships will I need in order to bring this product to market? And this proceeds in this manner for years. It is a new way of thinking for most people. The most often cited reason that startups fail is because they produced a product that no one needed. Why? Because the founders had an idea and immediately transitioned to , never asking, "What is it that I am doing and why?" doing Even if you're intent on creating and validating some entirely new business model, you should ask yourself why it is that you're doing something. And then figure out if that is truly what you want or should be doing. I have no doubt it will help you lead a more fulfilling life. not
