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> So exception handling: if you invest a lot of effort into something make sure you get to reap some rewards even if you're one of the 99 guys that doesn't get to pick the strawberries.

How does this work in the world of business where 99% fail

Should I not even try?



> How does this work in the world of business where 99% fail

I used to know this grumpy old guy who had a simple explanation for that statistic:

It doesn't mean that, if you start a business, you have a 99% chance of failure. It means that, out of everyone who starts a business, 99% of founders are guaranteed to fail, and 1% of founders are guaranteed to succeed.

The trick, I think, is to become the kind of person who can succeed at starting a business — and then start a business.


Example - try to launch a startup as a technical founder. If it fails, you can still get a coding job and do ok.

Example of what not to do - try becoming a pro poker player. If you fail, you have no marketable skills to fall back on.


Many professional poker players transition into quant based roles. They’re great at assessing risk and objective decision making.




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