I was planning on listening to an episode of "How I Built This" on the old podcast app on the way to and from work yesterday, and initially, I didn't see many business ideas that sounded interesting to listen to. One of the ones listed was the with James Dyson, inventor of the eponymous Dyson vacuum cleaner, so I thought, eh, that's kind of different from the ecommerce and tech podcasts I've had in rotation, so let's learn about a different business.
I should have known it would be outstanding when Guy Raz, the host, said it was a replay of one of their most requested podcasts, and it did not disappoint.
But this isn't a review of the podcast per se, but rather something right at the end of the episode which caught me square.
When Guy (awesome name) asks his last question, the one he asks to all his guests, the one where he asks "how much of your success is due to skill/intelligence and how much is due to luck?" Dyson, in part, answers the question using a metaphor from his long distance running days:
"You only succeed (at long distance running) by doing a huge amount of training. And then, having great stamina, understanding that other people are also feeling tired. So when you feel tired you should accelerate. That's when you start winning.
I've learned that. With developing new technology--that when you feel like giving up, it's precisely the point that everyone else gives up. It's at that point that you must put in extra effort.
And you do that, and success is literally just around the corner."
Never give up--as Churchill once famously said--never, never never, never. Never.
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