Photo: TD Garden, Boston, Feb 2024.

I am reading the book “Don’t Trust your Gut” by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. I highly recommend it. There are so many great insights and nice stories that are actually helpful to someone who wants to be happy and successful.

I paid particular attention on how to make yourself more likely to succeed as an entrepreneur. One key ingredient that struck me is: You just have to hustle. Such examples abound (some are from this book, others are what I remembered):

  • Bruce Springsteen traveled all over the country to be discovered, before he was discovered. So did Taylor Swift before she was recognized. So did the Beatles.
  • Successful painters tend to go to a more diverse set of exhibit venue to become from “outsiders” to “insiders”.
  • Jim Collins and his colleagues found that great (aka “10X”) companies do not necessarily had better luck than their peers.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger went to body-building competitions one after another, just to get his name out there.

What I learned is that you just have to put yourself out there, trying different things. Quantity first, quality later.

You missed 100% of the shots that you do not take.

Do not be afraid of failure or being rejected.

You just have to hustle.